The lawyer of 23 civil parties in the case of the 2015 Paris attacks has applied to the Paris Public Prosecutor's Office to try Salah Abdeslam for "crimes against humanity" instead of for terrorism.
According to lawyer Samia Maktouf, the attacks were "the worst massacre in France since the Second World War", Le Parisien reports. According to the newspaper, the lawyer believes that the actions could fall under "crimes against humanity".
Belgian police arrested Abdeslam for his involvement in the Paris attacks on March 18, 2016 — four days before the Brussels attacks. He is the only survivor of the attacks of November 13, 2015 (131 dead and nearly 500 wounded) in Paris and Saint-Denis.
Changing the classification would extend the period during which Abdeslam can be prosecuted, as criminal proceedings in cases of terrorism lapse after thirty years, while crimes against humanity never expire, Belga reports.
A decision will be reached on the matter in the coming days by the Paris Public Prosecutor's Office.
Jules Johnston
The Brussels Times
