Brussel: Europa en de Arabs

 Inside the former headquarters of NATO in Brussels, the first sessions of the so-called "trial of the century" were held to hold accountable the people who killed 32 people and injured more than 300 others in the Brussels attacks that took place in March 2016 and included the Belgian capital's airport and a domestic train station. The individual boxes allocated to the accused were the focus of the discussion and controversy that preceded and during the session. According to Belgian media, defense lawyers focused on the idea that their clients are “like animals in a glass cage.” In addition to a team of lawyers charged with defending the accused, there were also a number of lawyers from civil parties in the country. And there are some victims. Meanwhile, the suspects were summoned to the hall designated as the courtroom. The accused were summoned one by one, and the first point of discussion came in the form of a question about whether they wanted to appear at the hearing and whether they wanted to be photographed and painted or not. Among the most prominent in attendance were the suspects Salah Abdel Salam, as well as Mohamed Abrini and Osama Karim. Then 7 of them returned to the cells. Among them is Salah Abd al-Salam, who said he. He didn't think he could get a fair trial with those glass boxes. But the suspects agreed that the lawyers would stay, until they were all represented. Virginie Tillman, a lawyer for the suspect, Bilal Al-Mokhi, a member of the "Sharia in Belgium" group, said she chose an emotional style. According to her, “It is forbidden at all times to torture or subject people to humiliating conditions. That is what I think is happening here. Who among us would not feel in a cage if he had to sit in such a glass box for nine months.” Nor do we trust the system of Communication between attorneys and defendants.” It is unacceptable to be able to only speak on the phone. Because phones can be tapped. ." Attorney Tillman said the defendants are being presented "guilty and very serious." The lawyer and the client "cannot communicate freely with each other." “The whole approach of this trial will severely affect the defendants' ability to defend themselves. The court hearing that took place Monday is the preliminary hearing. The jury will be assembled on October 10 only, and after three days the process will actually start to try those involved in the terrorist act that took place six years ago and in which three of the perpetrators of the operation were killed. The persons suspected of being involved in participating with him in preparing for the implementation of this attack and were subjected to interrogation over the past period and the trial sessions that were disrupted for several reasons, including the outbreak of the Corona epidemic and the controversy that preceded it about choosing the place of the trial and securing the trial procedures, and finally it was decided to hold it in the old headquarters of NATO in Brussels to ensure High security measures for the accused, the families of the victims and the audience