Paris attack suspect Salah Abdeslam tells judge he has put his faith in Allah as he goes on trial surrounded by masked terror cops
Salah Abdeslam, 28, was flanked by two special-forces police officers brandishing machine guns and wearing balaclavas at the start of a trial in Brussels
A TERRORIST who survived the ISIS attack on Paris that killed 130 people told a judge he is "not afraid" and said he "put his trust in Allah".
Salah Abdeslam, 28, was flanked by two special-forces police officers brandishing machine guns and wearing balaclavas at the start of a trial in Brussels.
In dramatic scenes at the Palais de Justice, the notorious jihadi refused to confirm his personal details, and announced he would remain silent throughout the four-day process.
"Judge me, do what you want with me, it's in my Lord that I place my trust," said Abdeslam, who has grown long hair and a beard while in jail in France.
"I am not afraid of you, I am not afraid of your allies.
"I put my trust in Allah and that's all, I have nothing else to add," Abdeslam told the court.
The 28-year-old Belgian-born French national also explained why he was refusing to cooperate with the court despite having asked to attend the trial.
He said: "My silence does not make me a criminal, it's my defence."
Abdeslam urged the judges to consider "scientific and tangible proof" while deciding on his case, saying that otherwise they would "give up their function to the media".
"Muslims are judged and treated in the worst of ways, mercilessly. There is no presumption of innocence," he added.
"I declare that there is no god but Allah, Mohammed is his his servant and his messenger."
If found guilty of terrorist charges, along with 24-year-old Sofien Ayari, an alleged accomplice from Tunisia, he faces up to 40 years in prison.
Abdeslam was wearing a white jacket as he was led in front of judges, one of whom said: "Confirm your identity.
"Are you Salah Abdelslam? Say who you are."
In turn, the French passport holder from a Moroccan background who was brought up in Brussels, stared at the floor.
The failed suicide bomber and so-called "quartermaster" of the November 13, 2015 massacre was captured in Belgium four months later.
Today’s trial relates to a shoot-out with police in March 2016, with Abdeslam and Ayari accused of possession of weapons and attempted murder in a terrorist context.
There will be another process later this year or in 2019 in Paris, when Abdeslam will face trial in relation to the attacks in France.
Meanwhile, there were 200 armed officers inside the court building in Brussels today.
It was the first time he has been seen in a public court since being shot in the leg during his dramatic capture.
The Paris attacks were on the Stade deFrance during a football international between France and Germany, bars, restaurants, and the Bataclan music venue, where 90 died.
Among the nine attackers involved was Abdeslam’s brother, Brahim Abdeslam, 31, who blew himself up inside a packed restaurant.
Both men had run a bar in the Belgium capital, in the Molenbeek district where Salah Abdeslam was eventually found hiding on March 18th 2016.
He was then linked to another Isis attack in Brussels four days later – on March 22nd 2016 – when a total of 32 people were killed in coordinated suicide attacks on the city’s airport and an underground train station.
Anti-terrorist judges and police were hoping the trial today would shed light on the way groups like Isis operate in Europe, but Abdeslam is adamant that he will not cooperate.
Among those represented in court today were three officers belonging to the Franco-Belgian investigation team who were wounded during Abdeslam’s capture.
The civil parties also include victims of the Brussels bombings, who asked to be included in proceedings at the last minute.
This led to Sven Mary, Abdeslam’s lawyer, asking for an adjournment.
It was discussed by the bench, as the two defendants were briefly led out of the dock.
The trial continues.
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