In the Tongeren Court of Assizes on Friday, the personal backgrounds of the accused—Khalid Bouloudo, his elder brother Aziz Bouloudo, and Omar Loukili—were reviewed, along with a consideration of the moral characters of the two kidnapping victims.
The accused were described as helpful and friendly, with Aziz noted as particularly devout in his faith. Omar Loukili was preparing to begin studies at the Islamic University of Medina in Saudi Arabia, although he first needed a two-year Arabic language course. It was notable that none of Loukili’s character witnesses appeared in court, including his twin brother and parents. Prison records indicated he was caught with a total of five mobile phones, suggesting a fondness for having them in his cell.
Omar Loukili’s lawyer, Frédéric Thiebaut, described Friday as the worst day of his career, referring to Loukili’s involvement in anonymously sending a letter to the Genk family T., requesting a closed-door trial. Thiebaut remarked on the unprecedented absence of character witnesses for an accused person.
By Monday afternoon, all witnesses are expected to have testified, allowing lawyers for the civil parties to begin their arguments. On Wednesday or Thursday, the jury will deliberate on the verdict. Chairperson Daenen advised jurors that next week’s sessions could extend into longer days.
