Paris Terror Trial: Court Denies Release for Key November 13 Attack Suspect

Farid Kharkhach will not be able to appear free under judicial supervision as is the case for three of the defendants. The assize court rejected his request for release last Thursday. This could "prejudice the proper conduct of the trial and the establishment of the truth," justifies the president of the court, Jean-Louis Périès, recalling that none of the defendants had yet been questioned on the merits and that the Belgo-Moroccan, who has given several versions during his interrogations before the investigators, contested the facts charged against him, reports Belga. Another reason given: insufficient guarantees of representation, since the accused has dual Belgian-Moroccan nationality and ties to Morocco.

Farid Kharkhach is suspected of having provided false papers to the terrorists of the November 13, 2015 commandos at the request of Khalid El Bakraoui, one of the authors of the Brussels attacks. He was arrested in Belgium in January 2017, then detained in France since June 2017. Convinced that their client was not radicalized and did not present any risk of fleeing abroad, Marie Lefrancq and Fanny Vial had pleaded for his release on Tuesday. They also justified their request by the signs of depression presented by their client, victim of a malaise on the first day of the trial and the "unworthy" detention conditions of their client by showing the court photos of cockroaches found in his cell. This request did not receive the approval of the president of the Special Assize Court of Paris. The accused remains in prison.