Salah Abdeslam, the main defendant in the Maxi Trial for the jihadist massacres in Paris in 2015 and the sole survivor of the commandos that killed 130 people, came out of the silence to reiterate that he had given up killing on the night of the attacks . Shortly before that, Abdeslam had opted for the “right of nonresponse during the courtroom hearing about his movements on the evening of November 13th.
“I didn’t go all the way. I gave up activating my (explosive) belt, not out of cowardice, not out of fear, but because I didn’t want to, that’s all,” Abdeslam said in response to a question from civil attorney Claire JosserandSchmidt on the occasion of the Maxi trial. For about two hours, the only surviving member of the terrorist squad in the courtroom refused to answer questions from the court, the prosecutor’s office and the other lawyers present.
However, Claire JosserandSchmidt managed to break his silence by reminding the main defendant of the “promise” he had made in a previous interrogation to provide explanations. “The civil parties the woman stressed do not ask her questions to frame her, but to try to understand her, to understand her.”
Abdeslam first said “sorry” and then agreed to “answer a few questions”. The lawyer specifically questioned him about his earlier statements in February, when he implied he had “returned” by refraining from activating the explosive belt on that tragic Paris night. The version was confirmed today by the 32yearold Frenchman. But then why did he tell his loved ones that the belt failed? was it a lie “Yes, it is,” Abdeslam replies laconically, adding: “I was ashamed that I didn’t go all the way. I was just afraid of the eyes of others (jihadists, editor’s note).” One last line before he retreats into silence again.