Brussels judge starts to deliver verdict against Paris attacks suspect

Thomson Reuters

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A Belgian judge started to deliver her verdict on Monday in the trial of Salah Abdeslam, the prime surviving suspect in the 2015 Islamic State attacks on Paris, over a shootout with police in Brussels in 2016.

Abdeslam's lawyer had argued his client should be acquitted of attempting to murder police due to a procedural error. The judge quickly dismissed this argument as she began reading the judgment. The reading was expected to last some three hours.

Neither Abdeslam nor co-accused Sofien Ayari were in court on Monday.

Abdeslam was present on the opening day of the trial, but refused to answer the judge's questions.

Despite the absence of both accused, security was tight in and outside the Brussels court, with heavily armed police guarding the courtroom.

(Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek; editing by Philip Blenkinsop and Toby Chopra)

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