The summary judgement case brought by six defendants at the Brussels terror attack trial won’t now be heard until Friday (23 December). The hearing will take place at the specially designed Justitia in courthouse at the site of the former NATO building in the Brussels district of Haren.
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Summary judgement hearing in case brought by terror suspects to be heard on Friday
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The action that the terror suspects are taking against the Belgian State is against what they claim are undignified conditions under which they are transferred the couple of kilometres from Haren Gaol to the court. They also allege brutality on the part of the police. The summary judgement proceedings are being taken by Mohamed Abrini, Sofien Ayari, Salah Abdeslam, Bilal El Makhouki, Ali El Haddad Asufi and Hervé Bayingana Muhirwa.
They are requesting that a judge order the Belgian State to use methods that respect their human rights when they are transferred from Haren Prison to the Justitia Court, where their is taking place.
Since the start of the trial, the defendants have condemned the conditions under which they are transferred. They claim that they are subjected to intimate strip searches, made to kneel, wear a blindfold and forced to listen to loud music while they are on their way to court.
As mark of their protest the defendants have systematically asked to leave the secure cubical in which they are made to stand during the hearing. The presiding judge at the trial had invited the defendants and their lawyers to enter into dialogue with the Federal Prosecutor's Office and the Federal Police. However, this failed to find a solution to the issues.
The civil court summary procedure hearing will take place on Friday at the Justitia Courtroom. This will enable the defendants to attend the hearing in person as the Justitia Courthouse has both a secure cubic in the court room and holding cells.