A new puzzle for the organization of this river trial. This Friday, the magistrate presiding over the hearing of the November 13 attacks, saying he was “sorry” and “confused”, announced that a new accused was positive for Covid-19. As a result, the hearing started almost eight months ago is suspended at least until May 17, which could give rise to a verdict now expected for June 29, instead of June 24.
“We will not be able to hold this hearing today, nor next week”, announced the president of the Special Assize Court of Paris, Jean-Louis Périès, when the hearing resumed. This will resume “normally on May 17 at 12:30 p.m.”, he announced. “An accused is in turn affected by the Covid. In the current state of the procedure, it is not possible to sit, ”explained the president. ” Dura lex, sed lex (the law is tough, but it is the law),” he commented.
Farid Kharkhach, one of 11 defendants appearing in custody at the trial, tested positive after showing symptoms of Covid-19 in court on Thursday. The 39-year-old Belgian-Moroccan is “confused” for the civil parties who were to testify, assured one of his lawyers, Me Fanny Vial.
Hearings postponed
Suspended for two weeks for the holidays, the trial was initially scheduled to resume on January 6, but had been postponed until Salah Abdeslam, still positive for Covid-19, was submitted to a medical second opinion. Then, on January 17, the hearing again had to be suspended, due to the contamination of another accused, Ali el Haddad Asufi.
This new interruption comes on the third day of a new series of hearings of some 90 civil parties, survivors of the jihadist attacks which left 130 dead in Paris and Saint-Denis or bereaved relatives of the victims.
The court would thus normally hear, next Monday and Tuesday, the members of the American group Eagles of Death Metal, whose concert at the Bataclan on the evening of November 13, 2015 had been abruptly interrupted by Kalashnikov fire. Their hearings are postponed to a later date.