Beijing, February 10 (Xinhua) -- Salah Abdul-Salam, the sole surviving main suspect in the 2015 Terrorist attack in Paris, France, claimed in court on the 9th that he "changed his mind" at the last minute and did not detonate a suicide bomb vest. His self-justification has raised questions among survivors and families of the victims.
Agence France-Presse reported that Abdul Salam tried to explain himself as different from other attackers, saying he had "taken a step back" and decided not to detonate the vest. "I didn't kill anybody, I didn't hurt anybody... I didn't even make a scratch. ”
On April 27, 2016, in Paris, France, police escorted Salah Abdul-Salam, the main suspect in the Paris terrorist attacks, to prison. (Xinhua News Agency, photo by Pierre Andreu)
However, the police investigation found that the bomb vest he was wearing at the time of the crime was malfunctioning and could not be detonated. Abdul-Salam fled the French capital hours after the attack and was arrested in Belgium four months later.
Abdul-Salam, a 32-year-old French citizen, is the only living perpetrator of the Paris attack. The other nine, including one of his brothers, either committed suicide by detonating a bomb vest or were shot dead by the police.
Abdul-Salam claimed that he had sworn allegiance to the extremist group "Islamic State" that had committed the attack only 48 hours before the Paris attack and was "unaware" of the impending attack. He also claimed that he did not harm others during his escape. However, a Belgian court in 2018 found that he shot at police officers to avoid arrest.
Soldiers patrol the streets of Paris, France, on November 14, 2015, to hunt down terrorists and prevent new terrorist attacks. On the evening of the 13th, terrorist attacks occurred in many places in Paris, resulting in the killing of 130 people and the injury of more than 300 people. (Photo by Xu Jinquan, Xinhua News Agency)
When the French court heard the case on September 8 last year, Abdel-Salam was arrogant. At the trial on the 9th of this month, Abdul Salam continued to defend his accession to the Islamic State.
Philippe Duperon's son, Thomas, who was 30 years old at the time, died in a terrorist attack on the Bataclan Theatre. In an interview with France Television 2, he said that as soon as he saw Abdul Salam, "I had a feeling of incomprehension." What he did, what they did, how did he get his hands on it? What can explain all this? ”
Arthur Dnuvo survived the attack on the Batakran Theatre. He told Reuters he wanted to know how a person got to the point where he was ready to put on a bomb vest. "How did you get extreme so quickly and everyone else didn't notice at all?"
On November 13, 2018, in Paris, France, people held an event to commemorate the third anniversary of the serial terrorist attacks. The picture shows flowers filmed in front of the Batakran Theatre in memory of the victims. (Photo by Xinhua news agency reporter Chen Yichen)
The total number of defendants in the case, 6 of whom were tried in absentia, were extremist fighters fighting in Syria, 5 of whom are believed to have been killed. Abdul-Salam is the only suspect charged with murder, while others have been charged with providing weapons and helping plan the attack. If convicted, they face life in prison.
On the evening of November 13, 2015, a series of terrorist attacks occurred in various parts of Paris, including the Stade de France, the Bataclan Theatre and several neighborhoods. The serial attacks killed 130 people and injured more than 300 others. (Hu Ruoyu)
Source: Xinhua News Agency