Tested positive on December 27, Salah Abdeslam, the main accused, was deemed fit to appear by an expert. But his defense called for a second opinion and the hearing on Thursday turned to the medical debate.
Twice, the expert who examined Salah Abdeslam on Monday and then Wednesday estimated that, from a medical and health point of view, the main defendants in the November 13 trial could appear. But while the first report conditioned the resumption of the hearing on ” negativity “Of Salah Abdeslam’s PCR test, the second report noted that it was still positive even though it was” at a very low level “.
Abdeslam’s defense therefore requested a second opinion, Me Vettes denouncing a ” humbug “, Since the expert” contradicted himself in 48 hours “On the need for a negative result, while Me Ronen added:” This is not a delaying maneuver “,” the stake is not only the health of my client, but the safety of all “.
In echo, other defense lawyers warned of a risk of ” cascading contaminations », In particular in a closed box where 11 defendants and around twenty gendarmes rub shoulders, without the possibility of respecting barrier gestures such as ventilation or distancing. To avoid a postponement of a few days, we risk a domino effect that could suspend the trial for several weeks, they pleaded. An opinion shared by several civil parties, while others supported the prosecution in favor of an immediate recovery, reports our special correspondent at the courthouse, Laura Martel.
After two and a half hours of debates during which some seemed to improvise doctors, then three hours of deliberation, the court finally ordered the second opinion to rule on the state of health of Salah Abdeslam, but also on the delay. contagiousness of an unvaccinated person, which is the case. The hearing is scheduled to resume Tuesday.
The only survivor of the November 13 commandos was present at the hearing for the first time since November 25. The Frenchman, who refused to be vaccinated ” for personal reasons “, Tested positive for Covid-19 on December 27, while the trial was suspended.
After four months of hearing, the trial must enter a new phase, that of the interrogation on the merits of the file of the 14 defendants present (six others, therefore five presumed dead, are tried in their absence). In the event of a resumption on Tuesday, the first to be questioned by the court will be Mohamed Abrini, childhood friend of Salah Abdeslam.