"The Great Judgment Of Unprecedented!" France opens trial of a series of terrorist attacks in Paris in 2015

Source: Global Times

According to the French "Echo" reported on the 8th, the trial of the 2015 Paris series of terrorist attacks began in Paris on the same day. Some commentators believe that although France has been ringing the alarm bells for the case, it still faces the threat of terrorism in the future of continuous transformation.

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The trial of the Paris series of terrorist attacks was dubbed the "Trial of the Century" by the French media. Agence France-Presse said that after a four-and-a-half-year- and cross-19-country detailed investigation, the Paris court heard the case on the 8th, and the entire trial process is expected to last for 9 months, with 47,000 documents stacked on top of more than ten floors. As many as 1,765 plaintiffs are composed of victims or their families, dozens of whom will appear as witnesses. The team of lawyers in the case numbered more than 330 people. 20 accused will be tried and 14 accused will appear before the tribunal, including the only attacker who was not killed, the Frenchman Salah Abdul-Salam. Another 6 will be tried in absentia, 5 of whom have died. According to the report, Abdul Salam is the "number one public enemy" in this case, and the remaining 19 defendants are suspects who provided logistical assistance for the terrorist attack.

France Television II said that the Paris court spent a special cost of 7.5 million euros to build a "grand courtroom" that can accommodate 550 people. It is also the largest courtroom ever held in France. The trial will be broadcast live by video, online and radio. Some of the plaintiffs said that while Abdul Salam most likely refused to cooperate with the court and remained silent, they wanted to have a face-to-face direct communication with him after nearly 6 years of experiencing the nightmare to "turn the page".

Relatives of about 300 victims and survivors of the attack are expected to begin testifying on Sept. 28, a focal point in the trial of the case. President Hollande, who was in office at the time of the attack, will testify as a witness in November.

According to the report, French Interior Minister Dalmanin has recently asked the local police to maintain a high degree of vigilance during the trial of the case, especially to strengthen the security of religious sites, educational institutions and large gatherings to prevent terrorist attacks. The Global Times reporter noted that on the 8th, the police force in Paris was significantly strengthened, and there were police officers with long guns on guard in many places.

On the evening of 13 November 2015, a series of suicide attacks and shootings were carried out at the Stade de France, the Bataclan Theatre and several restaurants and bars in Paris, killing 130 people from 26 countries and injuring more than 350 others. The extremist group Islamic State subsequently claimed responsibility for the attack. The 2015 Paris series of terrorist attacks is not only the worst terrorist attack in France since the end of World War II, but also the most deadly terrorist attack in Europe by the extremist group Islamic State.