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A jury has found six people guilty of terrorist murder for the extremist attacks at the Brussels airport and subway station in 2016. Among those convicted was Salah Abdeslam, who is already serving a life sentence for his role in the Paris attacks in 2015. The verdict comes after the biggest trial in Belgium’s judicial history, with the jury connecting the attacks to the Islamic State group. Sentencing will be determined in a separate process. The attacks, which killed 32 people, deeply affected the city and its residents, and survivors and families of victims hoped for closure through the trial. AP reported
Six people have been found guilty of terrorist murder in connection with the extremist attacks at the Brussels airport and a busy subway station that occurred in 2016. These attacks resulted in the death of 32 people, making it Belgium’s deadliest peacetime violence. The attacks were part of a wave of terrorist incidents in Europe that were linked to the Islamic State (IS) group.
Among those convicted was Salah Abdeslam, who is already serving a life sentence without parole in France for his role in the 2015 Paris attacks. The Brussels and Paris attacks were connected to the same IS network.
The trial, which began in December, aimed to provide closure and help survivors and the families of victims work through the trauma of the attacks. The verdict was delivered by a 12-person jury, which made a clear connection between the attacks and IS and its extremist ideology. The jury also found that the attackers intended to intimidate Belgian society and that there was clear homicidal intention and premeditation.
The jury deliberated over 300 questions asked by the court before reaching a verdict. The sentencing will be decided in a separate process, which is expected to take place in September.
The attacks deeply shook Brussels, a city that houses the headquarters of the European Union and NATO. In addition to the 32 fatalities, many others were injured or suffered severe mental trauma. The jury also attributed four additional deaths to the attacks, including a survivor who took his own life due to mental suffering and another who had to halt cancer treatment because of injuries sustained in the attack.
Survivors and families of victims gathered at the special courthouse to hear the verdict. For them, the trial represented a long-awaited opportunity to find justice and closure. Despite the wounds that will always remain, the verdict sends a strong message to terrorists and reaffirms faith in democracy and the justice system..
- Brussels terrorist attacks
- Islamic State group attacks
- Verdict in Brussels attack trial.
