‘Real victims have had enough of the complained outcome box’
Since the start of the process of the attacks in Brussels, the contribution of the resulting stake has been a legal jousting. A brief overview of the potentially dangerous interrogations to traverse.
‘If they are silent, is it because they don’t want to talk? Or is it because they want to expect summary proceedings?’ Assis chairman Laurence Massart wanted defense lawyers clear about what their clients are planning this week. In principle, the interrogation of the nine results of the trial will start on Wednesday. According to the trial calendar, it will take ten days. But then the objectives must be present. The victims, hoping for answers, want nothing more.
But it summary judgment that six of seven completed events have challenged the way they are determined, drawing a line through the schedule. The case in summary proceedings will not be heard until Friday, two days after the start of the interrogations. Officially, the summary proceedings are separate from the assize case, but in the old NATO buildings in Evere, part of the results have linked their collaboration to the outcome of the summary proceedings.
In protest against the daily naked searches and other, according to them, ‘humiliating’ actions that still have to take place on the dock.
The lawyers of Mohamed Abrini aka the ‘man in the hat’ and Ali El Haddad Asufi stop knowing that they will not speak until the case is cleared up. The presence of Salah Abdeslam is also uncertain. He has been absent for several days of the trial, officially due to illness. Hervé Bayingana Muhirwa and Bilal El Makhoukhi are willing to speak. Osama Krayem does not participate in the summary proceedings. He says he will comply with the verdict of the judge.
Chairman Massart decided on Tuesday whether to postpone the interrogations or continue with the trial, even if several are not present together.
The victim collectives V-Europe and Life4Brussels, representing most of the victims, have had enough of the issue. Maryse Alié of victim collective Life4Brussels believes that the process is ‘held hostage’ by ‘complaints’ from the accusation box. Guillaume Lys of V-Europe also urged the chairman to ‘keep going’.