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Paris attacks: Salah Abdeslam stays silent in French court | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam exercised his right to silence as he appeared in a French court for his first questioning by the judges investigating the case. | |
Friday morning's court hearing at the Palace of Justice in the centre of Paris was not open to the public. | Friday morning's court hearing at the Palace of Justice in the centre of Paris was not open to the public. |
Salah Abdeslam is thought to have played a key role in planning the Paris attacks and transporting the attackers. | Salah Abdeslam is thought to have played a key role in planning the Paris attacks and transporting the attackers. |
The co-ordinated attacks by so-called Islamic State in November killed 130. | The co-ordinated attacks by so-called Islamic State in November killed 130. |
Dozens more were severely wounded. | Dozens more were severely wounded. |
Salah Abdeslam is being held in the high-security Fleury-Merogis jail just outside Paris. | Salah Abdeslam is being held in the high-security Fleury-Merogis jail just outside Paris. |
He was brought to the court amid tight security on Friday morning. | He was brought to the court amid tight security on Friday morning. |
"He did not want to say anything," his lawyer Frank Berton said after the hearing. | |
Mr Berton said his client was "particularly disturbed" by 24-hour video surveillance in his cell. | |
He felt "watched", the lawyer told France Info. "This does not lead him to co-operate with legal proceedings," he added. | |
A lawyer representing some of the victims' families, Gerard Chemla, said Abdeslam had a moral duty to help the authorities. | A lawyer representing some of the victims' families, Gerard Chemla, said Abdeslam had a moral duty to help the authorities. |
"If this man has a conscience, he will co-operate with judicial authorities and will make it so that what happened doesn't happen again," Mr Chemla said before the hearing got under way. | |
France's inquisitorial justice system means judges are responsible for investigating the case and questioning suspects ahead of any trial. | France's inquisitorial justice system means judges are responsible for investigating the case and questioning suspects ahead of any trial. |
Salah Abdeslam is being investigated over charges of terrorism-related murder and attempted murder. | Salah Abdeslam is being investigated over charges of terrorism-related murder and attempted murder. |
Arrested in Brussels in March after months on the run, he was transferred to French custody last month. | Arrested in Brussels in March after months on the run, he was transferred to French custody last month. |
His arrest took place just four days before the Brussels bombings and he has been linked to several of the suspects believed to have carried out those attacks. | His arrest took place just four days before the Brussels bombings and he has been linked to several of the suspects believed to have carried out those attacks. |
Belgian authorities have been accused of failing to connect him and his brother, Brahim Abdeslam, to ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud. | |
Brahim Abdeslam blew himself up on 13 November while Abaaoud was killed during a police raid in Paris days afterwards. | Brahim Abdeslam blew himself up on 13 November while Abaaoud was killed during a police raid in Paris days afterwards. |
The Belgian authorities have already admitted to key blunders in the months leading up to the Paris and Brussels attacks. | |
And further alleged failings involving Salah Abdeslam were reported by Belgian broadcaster RTBF on Monday. | And further alleged failings involving Salah Abdeslam were reported by Belgian broadcaster RTBF on Monday. |
Separately, one of the suicide attackers at the Bataclan concert hall was buried on Friday morning at a cemetery in his home town in Alsace, according to radio network France Bleu (in French). | |
The remains of Foued Mohamed-Aggad, 23, were interred in the Muslim section of the cemetery in Wissembourg, with 20-30 police present, the report said. |