Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
Some of the injured and families of the victims of the terrorist attacks that took place on March 22, 2016 in Brussels and Zaventem are thinking about meeting the convicts. They hope to obtain an answer to many questions that remained unanswered despite the end of the trial sessions, which lasted seven months.
"Dozens of victims have so far indicated their desire to meet the convicts," said Jamila Ada, head of the victims' group Life4Brussels, confirming what was announced on the regional channel Bx1. “The meeting is of fundamental importance for some, who have been left with a lot of anger after the trial. Meeting the convicts has a healing effect.
Many members of the victims organization V-Europe are also thinking about this, says Philip Vansteenkiste, director of V-Europe. “But we are giving everyone time to understand the process, there is no need to rush. It is a step that needs careful consideration.”
Life4Brussels sees it differently, talking about a race against time, because one or more of the convicts will be transferred back to France. He added: "We will contact the Belgian and French Ministers of Justice to postpone the transfer process."
On Friday evening, a Brussels court issued rulings in a file known as the Trial of the Century in Belgium, and three of the perpetrators of the terrorist attacks in Brussels in March 2016 were sentenced to life imprisonment. According to the Criminal Court in the Belgian capital, three of the participants in the crime, who were also sentenced to life imprisonment, did not receive the maximum sentence.
The court announced in July that six of the ten suspects in the terrorism trial were fully guilty. The punishment came yesterday, Friday. Two suspects were found partly guilty, and two others were acquitted.
According to Belgian media, the Brussels Criminal Court surprisingly ruled not to punish Salah Abdel Salam for the attacks that occurred in Brussels and Zaventem. None of the eight convicted terrorists will lose their citizenship
The rulings were as follows
Muhammad Abrini: Thirty years in prison + five years on probation
Salah Abdel Salam: No additional penalty (previously sentenced to 20 years in prison)
Ali Al-Haddad Al-Sufi: Twenty years in prison + ten years under supervision
Hervé Bainga Muherwa: ten years in prison and a fine
Osama Karim: Life imprisonment + ten years probation
Bilal Al-Mukhokhi: Life imprisonment + ten years of probation
Osama Attar: Life imprisonment + fourteen years of probation
Sofiane Ayari: No additional punishment (previously sentenced to 20 years in prison)
According to Belgian media, the operation “despite its complexity and procedural difficulties at the beginning, went well and calmly.” This was stated by Federal Minister of Justice Vincent van Quickenborn in a response after the last session, where the ruling was read out.
"The trial is our constitutional state's response to one of the darkest and most horrific pages in our modern history," said Van Quickenborn, who did not comment on the court's substantive ruling.
The suicide bombings at Brussels Airport and the Brussels Metro killed 32 people, excluding three perpetrators. Subsequently, three more people died as a result of these attacks, including a traumatized young woman who was euthanized because depression had made her life unbearable.
Two bombs exploded at the airport on March 22, 2016, nine seconds apart. More than an hour later, a bomb exploded in the Maelbeek metro station. A third bomb did not explode at the airport. This bomb, the heaviest of the three bombs, was left by Muhammad Abrini near the Del France branch. Abrini fled the airport. He was arrested two weeks later.