Six accused in connection to the 2016 suicide attack in Brussels that killed 32 people won a small victory on Thursday when a court ruled they should no longer be subject to daily strip searches before being transported from jail.
For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Mohamed Abrini, who prosecutors say fled Brussels airport after arriving there with two suicide bombers, complained on the first day of the trial that these transfers consisted of having to strip and genuflect for searches, being blindfolded and played loud “satanic music” through headphones on the journey.
Lawyers for him and five others filed a legal challenge, saying this had not happened during a parallel trial in Paris. Abrini and other accused have said they will not answer any questions while the practice continues.
The accused were to have begun testifying last week in a trial in which around 1,000 members of victims groups are seeking answers as to why they or their loved ones were targeted.
A Brussels court noted that the European Court of Human Rights prohibited degrading treatment, even in terrorist cases.
It said the strip searches appeared degrading in part because they were planned daily in a trial set to last months and also because they did not appear necessary to ensure security given all the other measures in place.
The court gave Belgian authorities eight days to adapt or face a penalty of 1,000 euros ($1,066) for each breach per accused up to a maximum of 50,000 euros per defendant.
The court did say that the accused could be transported wearing blindfolds. It noted that the defendants no longer had to listen to loud music. Each side can appeal the court’s ruling.
The trial of the 10 men, one in absentia, is set to resume on Monday with testimony from police.
Read more:
Emotions run high as trial for 2016 Brussels bombing opens
Brussels bombing accused Salah Abdeslam refuses to take stand
Van drives into cafe terrace in Belgium, injuring six
Also Read
-
Emotions run high as trial for 2016 Brussels bombing opens
The largest trial in Belgian history kicked off on Monday with 10 men accused of involvement in suicide bombings in Brussels in 2016 that killed 32 ... World News -
Brussels bombing accused Salah Abdeslam refuses to take stand
French extremist Salah Abdeslam, already jailed for his role in the 2015 Paris attacks, refused to take the stand Monday on the first day of the trial ... World News -
Van drives into cafe terrace in Belgium, injuring six
A van driver ploughed through a crowded cafe terrace in Brussels’ city center shopping and tourism district on Friday, slightly wounding six people ... World News
