Brussels attack trial: Lengthy sentences handed down
The individuals responsible for the 2016 Brussels attacks, which resulted in the deaths of 32 individuals, were given significant prison sentences 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 imprisonment for periods ranging from 20 years to life.
The largest trial in Belgian history has reached its conclusion with 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 biggest trial ever held in Belgium.
Salah Abdeslam, a French citizen who was part of those 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 deaths 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 received 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 ex-premises of the NATO military alliance.
kb/wd (dpa, Reuters AFP)
