Salah Abdeslam, who was sentenced to life in prison for the November 13, 2015 attack, wants “open the door to civil parties” in the process “restorative justice”, his attorney said Tuesday.
“We have someone who is trying to access education, someone who also offered an apology to the civil side during his trial, (…) who wants to be able to explain the situation and maybe have a discussion, open the door for the civil side, if they want, to be able to discuss detention and discuss this trial”said Me Olivia Ronen on Franceinfo.
“That has been disclosed and it is a request that was also made by certain civil parties to be able to contact him”he assured. “It really is a principle of restorative justice where people who have been accused and people who have been victims of offenses manage to do more than they set out to achieve – I know we are still far from that goal – but it aims to reassure society”explained the lawyer again.
Arthur Dénouveaux, Bataclan survivor and president of the Life for Paris association, responded to X to Me Ronen that “several victims of attack” interested in restorative justice, “which can lead, as in Spain or Italy, to meetings in prison with your clients”.
Restorative justice, which has emerged over the last ten years in France, does not replace criminal justice. Meetings between perpetrators and victims of the same offense, but not the same case, are the most well-known acts. There are other mechanisms, such as criminal mediation, that bring victims and perpetrators together in the same case.
The sole surviving member of the murderous commando squad of 13 November 2015, who was imprisoned in Vendin-le-Vieil (Pas-de-Calais) prison, was detained by police twice last week then released and remanded in custody, in an investigation into possession of a USB key loaded according to the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office (Pnat) with documents containing “connected to the official propaganda of the terrorist organization, ISIS or Al-Qaeda”. Pnat asked for it “next indictment”.
This key was given to him during a visit to the visiting room by his former colleague, Maëva B., who was doubly accused and imprisoned. He is also suspected of being involved in the foiled attack plan.
On Monday, Director General of Internal Security Céline Berthon confirmed that Salah Abdeslam is still “radicalization”, “not questioned” in this planned attack.
France will commemorate on Thursday, as a day of respect for the victims, of the November 13, 2015 attacks in Paris and Saint-Denis, which killed 132 people – including two Bataclan suicide victims who suffered severe psychological wounds.
