At the special Assize Court of Paris, the hearing of the trial of the attacks of November 13, 2015 resumed two hours late, with only two defendants out of eleven. The remaining nine, including Salah Abdeslam, refused to appear on Tuesday May 31. Before the customary warnings, they were even ten to refuse to appear.
The defendants absent from the box would, according to lawyers interviewed by AFP, be in solidarity with one of the detainees, Pakistani Muhammad Usman. Suffering from an eye problem, and already absent from the hearing on Monday for this reason, iI “must have a medical follow-up and is impatient with the date of this follow-up”mentioned President Jean-Louis Périès, without citing his identity, on behalf of the “Confidential medical information”. “Since this morning (…), on makes sure to speed up this appointment”, assured President.
“His refusal to appear is not lighthearted, neither for us nor for him”assured the lawyer by Muhammad Usman, Edward Huylebrouck. According to him, this refusal to appear was “dictated solely by the fears he may have about his state of health”. “He has been waiting for his second operation for thirteen months, which was to take place within four months.”
muhammad usman “feeling in pain since Friday”added his advice asking “an emergency appointment with a specialist”. “Failing that, we will be forced to seek an expert to see if he is fit to appear”warned Edward Huylebrouck, stating that his client was “sorry it had to come to this”.
After these explanations, the hearing resumed with a tribute, by lawyers, to the victims killed by the attacks, which left 130 dead in Paris and Saint-Denis on November 13, 2015.