French prosecutors request life sentence for main Paris attack suspect

Prosecutors in the Paris attacks trial on Friday recommended a life sentence without parole for the main suspect in the November 2015 extremist attacks that killed 130 in France’s worst-ever terror assault.

Salah Abdeslam is the only surviving member of the attackers who opened fire in the packed Bataclan concert hall and on cafe terraces in adjacent streets, and detonated suicide bombs at the Stade de France sports arena.

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The request for no chance of parole is rare in France, where prisoners on life sentences are often released after 20 to 25 years.

Also on trial are 19 others accused of various degrees of assistance to the killers.

For three of them, prosecutors also requested standard life sentences – two for suspected high-ranking ISIS members thought to have been killed in Syria or Iraq, and one for Mohamed Abrini, a Belgian accused of having provided weapons and logistical support.

The length of the trial, its emotional charge and the number of plaintiffs – 2,500 – have made it the most impactful legal proceeding in French history.

The remainder of the trial will now be dedicated to closing statements by defense lawyers.

The verdict is due on June 29.

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