November 13 Attacks: Ineligible for Release in France Before 2035, Mohamed Bakkali Could Be Released in Belgium as Early as 2026

Mohamed Bakkali could be released in Belgium much earlier than his French sentence would have allowed. On September 29, the sentence enforcement court is due to examine his request for placement under electronic monitoring or parole.

The 39-year-old Belgian-Moroccan national was sentenced in June 2022 to thirty years in criminal imprisonment, with a two-thirds security period, for his role as a logistician in the November 13, 2015 attacks. In France, he theoretically could not have applied for parole before 2035.

Imprisoned since November 2015, Mohamed Bakkali was nevertheless transferred to Belgium in 2023. The enforcement of his sentence now falls under Belgian law, which allows him to request release after serving one-third of his sentence.

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The situation has provoked a strong reaction in France. In a letter addressed on September 21 to his Belgian counterpart, Gérald Darmanin said that an early release would be experienced as “an affront to the victims’ pain,” reports La DH.

France Attempts to Exert Influence Ahead of the Hearing

The French Justice Minister is asking for the victims to be able to attend the September 29 hearing, notably through a videoconferencing system. He also proposes reviewing the European rules that allowed for this difference between the sentence handed down in France and the way it is enforced in Belgium.

Mohamed Bakkali had notably rented properties used as safe houses by members of the cell responsible for the attacks at the Stade de France, Paris terraces and the Bataclan, which claimed 130 lives.

He had also been sentenced in 2020 to twenty-five years in prison for his involvement in the foiled attack on the Amsterdam-Paris Thalys in August 2015. The two sentences were subsequently reduced to the legal maximum of thirty years. Bladi followed his trial alongside Ayoub El Khazzani.

The Belgian justice system has already granted him six 36-hour prison furloughs. These outings form part of a process that could lead to placement under electronic monitoring, followed by possible parole.

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Once Mohamed Bakkali was handed over to Belgium, the French authorities lost direct control over the arrangements for enforcing his sentence, even though his conviction remains recognized.

However, release is by no means guaranteed. The decision lies with the Belgian court, which will have to assess his behavior in detention, his reintegration plan and the risks associated with a possible release. The September 29 hearing will determine whether Mohamed Bakkali can leave Ittre prison as early as 2026 or must remain detained.