Brussels attack trial: Lengthy sentences handed down

The individuals responsible for the 2016 Brussels attacks, which resulted in the deaths of 32 people, were sentenced to long prison terms by a Belgian court on Friday.

According to the Belga news agency, six individuals convicted of murder and attempted murder in July have been sentenced to prison terms varying from 20 years to life.

The largest trial in Belgian history comes to an end with the conclusion of the sentencing phase.

The attacks on the city’s airport and a metro station were claimed by the terror group known as the “Islamic State” (IS).

The verdict concludes the biggest trial ever held in Belgium.

Salah Abdeslam, a French citizen who was convicted in July, did not receive an extra prison term because he was already serving a sentence for his involvement in the 2015 Paris attacks, resulting in the death of 130 individuals.

He was the sole remaining individual from the group of terrorists that attacked the Bataclan theatre and France’s national stadium.

After the massacre, he escaped to Brussels and took refuge in an apartment for a period of four months. Shortly before the Brussels bombings, he was apprehended and discovered to have collaborated in planning the attack.

Three individuals who were found guilty were given life sentences, whereas two others were handed prison terms of 30 and 20 years.

The trial commenced towards the conclusion of the previous year and took place with stringent security measures at the renovated former base of the NATO military alliance.

kb/wd (dpa, Reuters AFP)