The Frenchman Salah Abdeslam, the only living terrorist of the commandos that attacked Paris on November 13, 2015, was sentenced this Wednesday, by a special court, to life imprisonment without the possibility of remission, the harshest penalty provided for in the French legal system. Abdeslam, who worked mainly as a driver, did not manage to activate the explosive belt that he was wearing because he backed out at the last moment. He was able to flee to Brussels but was later captured.
In the attacks on the Bataclan concert hall, the Stade de France and several cafes, 130 people were killed and more than 400 wounded. Six terrorists were tried in absentia. Five of them are believed to have died in Syria and Iraq. They were also sentenced to non-remissible life, a symbolic decision given the seriousness of what happened. Another is serving a sentence in Turkey.
In addition to Abdeslam, 19 of the 20 defendants were found guilty. He received the most severe sentence among the living, which makes it almost impossible to be released on parole one day. Another living convict was also sentenced to life imprisonment, like Mohamed Abrini, but with the possibility of leaving prison after 22 years. The rest of the sentences ranged between 2 and 30 years, depending on the level of participation, which in some cases was very testimonial and it was not proven that they really knew the magnitude of the plot.
Abdeslam, 32, began the trial by being very defiant and presuming to be an Islamic State (IS) fighter. Then his attitude evolved towards regret, leaving it up in the air if it was a tactical change, seeking mercy, or a sincere position. The prosecution and many relatives believed the former.
In his final turn to speak, Abdeslam reiterated his apologies, although he admitted that many may find them "insincere" and part of a "strategy." But the prisoner insisted on his argument: "More than 130 dead, hundreds of wounded, who can present insincere excuses in view of so much suffering?" "I have made mistakes, but I am not a murderer," he concluded. "If they convict me of murder, they commit an injustice."
The sentences have come after 10 months of sessions, sometimes very painful from an emotional point of view for the families of the victims who perished and for those who survived. Hearings were often interrupted due to covid and other health issues.
The process involved a huge legal work. It involved some 2,500 civil parties. The documents have occupied more than a million pages. Despite the duration, scope and depth of the investigation, many dark points have remained about the genesis of the attacks.
Among those who testified as witnesses were those then responsible for the secret services, as well as former president François Hollande and his prime minister at the time of the events, Manuel Valls. All admitted the feeling of "failure" for not having been able to prevent terrorist actions, despite being aware of the threat and that an attack was planned.
Despite having strengthened security and intelligence devices, France continued to be the scene of jihadist attacks after 13-N. The most serious was the massive run over in the Promenade des Anglais, in Nice, on July 14, 2016, the national holiday. 86 people died. There were other minor attacks, but of great impact, such as the beheading of the teacher Samuel Paty, the attack on the Notre Dame de Nice basilica and even a fatal stabbing of four officers inside the Paris police prefecture.
The terrorist offensive undoubtedly contributed to the anti-Islamist and anti-immigrant discourse of the extreme right, which achieved a historic result in the last presidential elections, in April, and in the legislative elections on June 19.
