Salah Abdeslam, the prime suspect in a jihadist terrorist attack in Paris in November 2015 that killed 130 people, has told a French court that he has never murdered or maimed anyone.
The lone surviving member of the Islamist cell accused of carrying out the gun and bomb attacks on six restaurants and bars, the Bataclan concert venue, and the national soccer stadium in Paris is French-Moroccan Abdeslam.
Among the 20 defendants, he is the only one charged with murder, attempted murder, and hostage-taking.
His explosive vest allegedly malfunctioned as he was preparing to carry out the attack, and he escaped the French capital in the hours following the attack, according to police.
Abdeslam, 32, testified in court on Wednesday, February 9 that he supported the militant group Islamic State and that he was on his way to becoming a combatant, but he didn’t admit to being involved in the coordinated gun and bomb attacks that killed 130 people, the deadliest in postwar France and sending shockwaves across Europe.
“Today, I wanted to state unequivocally that I did not murder or injure anyone.” Under inquiry, Abdeslam stated, “I didn’t even make a scratch.”
Abdeslam has never expressed regret for the attacks since they occurred on November 13, 2015.
If convicted, he might spend the rest of his life in prison.
According to Abdeslam, the Islamic State terrorist group targeted Paris in 2015 to pressure then-President Francois Hollande to end French military operations against the group in Syria and Iraq.
In court, Abdeslam remarked of Hollande, “It’s his fault that we’re here today.”
“They retaliated against France and the West’s aggression. It was to make a statement if they killed civilians.”
Abdeslam told the court that he had never visited Syria but appreciated the fighters’ courage to give their lives on a daily basis.