This is the most severe punishment possible in France, and very rare. Salah Abdeslam was the main suspect in an outstanding trial for the 2015 attacks, in which 130 people were killed and the Islamic State claimed responsibility. A judge in a special court for terrorism on Wednesday found him guilty of murder and attempted murder in connection with a terrorist operation. The court found that his vest with explosives was malfunctioning, rejecting his argument that he left the vest because he decided not to continue his attack. Of those charged, in addition to Abdeslam, 18 were convicted of various terrorism-related offenses and one was convicted of a minor fraud charge. The other defendants are heavily accused of aiding or abetting bailouts. At least one is accused of being directly involved in the deadly March 2016 attacks in Brussels, which were also carried out by the Islamic State organization. During the nine-month trial, Abdeslam declared his radicalism, wept, apologized to the victims and asked the judges to forgive his “mistakes”.
