Brussels attack trial: Lengthy sentences handed down

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

According to the Belga news agency, six individuals convicted of murder and attempted murder in July have received prison sentences ranging from 20 years to life.

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

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 marks the conclusion of the most extensive legal proceeding in Belgian history.

Salah Abdeslam, a French citizen, who was one of the individuals found guilty in July, did not face further imprisonment as he was already serving a sentence for his involvement in the 2015 Paris attacks that resulted in the death of 130 individuals.

He was the sole survivor among the individuals involved in the terrorist group 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 it was discovered that he had collaborated in planning the attack.

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

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

kb/wd (dpa, Reuters AFP)