November 13 trial: Salah Abdeslam still positive for Covid, no hearing before Tuesday

“Degree of contagiousness”, “symptoms”, “cough”, “isolation”, “asthenia”. At the trial of the November 13, 2015 attacks, the courtroom looked like a doctor’s office on Thursday.

And for good reason. Salah Abdeslam had tested positive for Covid on December 27, 2021. Last Tuesday, at the resumption of the hearing, the president indicated that the expert appointed by him had noted in his report of January 3 that Salah Abdeslam was “suitable “to appear as of Thursday, January 6, “subject to negativity” of the PCR test carried out on Monday January 3 at the Fleury-Mérogis remand center.

In a second report carried out on Wednesday January 5, the expert indicates the PCR test of Salah Abdeslam is “positive at a very low level compatible with the favorable evolution of the infection and with the lifting of the isolation measure”. But specifies, contrary to what she had indicated two days earlier, that despite his positivity, Salah Abdeslam is suitable “both on the medical and health plan to attend the hearings”. What arouse many reactions this Thursday in the courtroom and in the box, where Salah Abdeslam had found his place.

As they did on Tuesday, Salah Abdeslam’s lawyers asked for a second opinion on Thursday. “We have a symptomatic detainee. He has symptoms which manifested themselves on December 23. A test was carried out 4 days later. This test turns out to be positive,” said Me Ronen, recalling that his client being “always positive” ; he could “contaminate the other accused and the gendarmes in the box”.

“What interest does Salah Abdeslam have in buying time? We have no interest in asking this. We are asking you to try someone who is fit to appear. Which is not the case today. safety of everyone and for the good conduct of this hearing, it is necessary today to interrupt this hearing and to know what is the state of health of Mr. Abdeslam “”, insisted Mr. Ronen.

Me Vettes, another advice from the only survivor of the November 13, 2015 commando, pleads in turn, emphasizes that his client is coughing the box. “The purpose of this trial is not to keep a hearing schedule, but to try the accused fairly, so that they are able to defend themselves in the best possible way. This is not the case today. by M. Abdeslam “. For him, “these two expert reports are a total hoax”. “48 hours apart, the expert says everything is the opposite. This discredits him from a medical and scientific point of view” he quipped.

What to react on the benches of the civil parties. Me Reinhart and other colleagues are opposed to the second opinion. “Mr. Abdeslam’s infection does not strike me as either fatal or difficult to live with” said the lawyer before insisting on the benefits of vaccination. “Whether he’s vaccinated or not, it’s none of your business. It’s none of your business” s‘is then annoyed the accused Sofien Ayari in the box.

Me Chemla, another civil party lawyer, is also in order for the hearing to resume, since the risks of contagion are no longer there. “There is no more time to waste than we did this week”, he said.

Several civil party lawyers do not agree and are in favor of the second opinion, like all defense lawyers. The Advocate General is opposed to it. “I ask you not to grant this request for a second opinion. To make the resumption of the hearing conditional on a negative test from Mr. Abdeslam would be to take the risk of postponing this hearing by several weeks. Especially since “Salah Abdeslam told the remand center that it was the last time he agreed to do a PCR test”, she said.

The prosecution will not succeed. After three hours of deliberation, the Special Assize Court of Paris Jean-Louis Périès decided to grant the request for a medical second opinion demanded by Salah Abdeslam’s lawyers. The president ordered it to determine if Salah Abdeslam was “apt” to appear and to indicate “any sanitary measure” necessary. He also asked “any useful clarification on the contagiousness of an unvaccinated inmate still positive after the 10-day isolation period”.

“The report must be submitted by January 10 at the latest. The hearing is postponed to January 11 subject to a negative result of which you will be notified. The hearing is adjourned, it will resume Tuesday at 12:30 pm” concluded Jean-Louis Périès.