the diary of an ex-hostage of the Bataclan, week 14

Since September 8, 2021 the trial of the November 13 attacks is held in Paris. David Fritz Goeppinger, victim of these attacks is today a photographer and author. He agreed to share via this logbook his feelings, in images and in writing, during the long months that this river trial will last. Here is his account of the fourteenth week.

>> The Journal of the Thirteenth Week

Wednesday December 15th. Yesterday, the president announced that today’s hearing would start at 2 p.m. due to the strike movement of magistrates and clerks. The bells are ringing and the president takes the floor to express his support for the strike movement: “I have known for forty years that I have been doing this job that the working conditions in which we exercise this job are not always the best.” The bench of civil party lawyers echoes it through the voice of Master Bibal, ditto among the defense lawyers via Master Vettes.

Today, we are continuing to hear relatives of terrorists. The first two witnesses summoned to appear are interviewed from penitentiary establishments and are parents. A telephone tone rings out in the courtroom when the President initiates the video conference to communicate with the first witness. She is the sister of two men considered to be the spokespersons of ISIS and who claimed responsibility for the November 13 attacks through religious songs.

It is an empty chair which is projected on the canvas behind the president, a woman’s voice says: “Madam Witness is coming.” During this moment of uncertainty we attend the soundtrack of a prison. Metal doors slam, bunch of keys and footsteps echo in the distance. A few minutes later, the witness took her place. She tells us about the radicalization of all members of her family: “We converted in 1999. We were in search of spirituality. […] and we were looking for an answer to ‘Why we were on Earth’. ” The clarity and the apparent sincerity that it instills in each of the answers to the questions of the President and the parties surprise me. Until now, most of the relatives testifying seemed less comfortable and did not really spread out over their emotions or judgments. But here we are really immersed in the radical building and transformation of an entire family. After several hours of testimony and answers follows the testimony of her daughter, also imprisoned for having joined Daesh from July 2014 to the end of 2017. The picture they paint seems to be that of an infinite abyss in which the whole family sits. ‘is immersed, a sort of infinite gear. The next witness is the ex-girlfriend of one of the two terrorists who held us hostage in the “Corridor” of the Bataclan on November 13th. I make every effort to stay focused in order to listen to his testimony. Behind his words, we have access to slices of his life and his radicalism. Regarding her ex-boyfriend’s intention to join ISIS, she will say: “They went to Syria out of curiosity, basic, but they found themselves in a gear.” To the question of one of the two assessors on the reasons for her departure: “He clearly did not go to give flowers.”

Listening, all afternoon to the testimonies of relatives of the terrorists weighs me down and I prefer to stop writing there for today, I put my things away and leave the auction room and realize that the audience has just taken end. In the photograph of the day, the “statue with a severed hand” which stands at the corner of one of the corridors of the Palais de Justice.

See you tomorrow.