The trial of the November 13 attacks has once again been postponed because of a new case of contamination of one of the defendants. The trial is suspended until May 17.
“We will not be able to hold this hearing today, nor next week. An accused is in turn affected by the Covid. In the state of the procedure, it is not possible to sit»announces Jean-Louis Périés, the President of the special assize court of Paris this Friday, May 6, at the hearing.
Farid Kharkhach, one of the 11 defendants, has symptoms of Covid-19 and has tested positive. The 39-year-old said he was “confused for the parties who had to testify”, according to Me Fanny Vial, one of his lawyers.
A postponed verdict?
This interruption arises on the third day of a new series of hearings of 90 civil parties, survivors of the attack or even bereaved relatives of the victims.
This is not the first time that this trial has been interrupted. He had already been on February 15 because of new Covid-19 contaminations of the defendants Mohammed Amri and Adel Haddadi. The trial then resumed on March 1.
Then again, on April 22, when two other defendants, Sofien Ayari and Mohamed Bakkali had been tested positive.
It was also planned that the American group Eagles of Death Metal, which had performed on the evening of the attacks at the Bataclan, would be heard in court next Monday and Tuesday. Their hearings were logically postponed.
Following this new case of contamination, the verdict could be delivered on June 29 when it was expected for June 24, indicated President Jean-Louis Périès during the hearing.