Eight men were found guilty on Tuesday of organizing a series of bombings in Brussels in March 2016, considered the deadliest terrorist attack in Belgian history.
Attacks – claimed by same Islamic State cell was responsible for a chain terrorist attack in Paris years earlier — 36 people were killed, hundreds more wounded, and left Belgium and wider Europe with deep wounds and acute questions about Islam’s place in the continent’s mostly secular societies.
The verdict was limited to an eight-month trial, the largest ever held in Belgium, with the testimony of nearly 1,000 registered survivors, witnesses and experts. Eight of the men in court were charged with murder and attempted murder in the context of terrorism, and one was charged with participating in the activities of a terrorist group.
The jury, which included Brussels residents of all ages and colors, found the six men guilty of murder and attempted murder. The two were acquitted of murder, but found guilty of participating in activities of a terrorist group. Two brothers, Ibrahim Farisi and Smail Farisi, were acquitted.
The verdict was read by the presiding judge, Laurence Massart, in the courtroom in somber silence, despite the presence of so many journalists, lawyers and victims. The seven defendants who listened to the sentencing sat in a large pane of glass, accompanied by a masked policeman, and one, Ibrahim Farisi, sat outside the cell and abruptly left shortly after being acquitted. His brother was absent.
Six people found guilty of murder or attempted murder on Tuesday face life in prison. The judgment cannot be appealed.
Six of the 10 defendants were given different sentences during last year’s trial in Paris over terrorist attacks in the French capital.
What happened during the attacks?
Three homemade bombs filled with nails were detonated in Brussels on 22 March 2016, killing 32 people from 8 countries and injuring 340 others.
Two of the bombs exploded in the busy departure hall of Brussels Airport, the third was later found unexploded on the airport premises. Just over an hour later, another bomb hit Maelbeek metro station, an area of Brussels where European Union institutions are located.
Three suicide bombersidentified as Najim Laachraoui, Ibrahim el-Bakraoui and Khalid el-Bakraoui, were killed in the explosion.
The bombings sent shockwaves across Belgium and spurred a painful soul-searching process in the multicultural and multi-ethnic nation.
Belgium’s security services have come under close scrutiny for failing to stop the violence. Many of the defendants were born and raised in the country, and critics accuse the government of failing to integrate Muslims into Belgian society.
What happened during the proceedings?
The test, which took place at the former NATO headquarters, is estimated to cost at least 35 million euros, about 39 million dollars. While it promised to account for a grieving society, it was marred by delays and disruptions.
The proceedings have been held for two months over a dispute over the glass cases that were supposed to hold the defendants as they testified. The judges ordered the cells to be rebuilt after defense lawyers argued the structures stripped their clients of their dignity.
During the trial, the defendants frequently complained of abuse by police and prison guards, including verbal abuse and what they described as a disproportionate number of strip searches.
Most of the defendants denied participating in the attacks, and one declined to speak at trial.
Yet the testimony, much of it heartbreakingly detailed, has brought a sense of relief to many who have been injured or have lost loved ones.
Phillipe Vandenberghe, 53, a computer scientist who was working at the airport when the attack happened, said: “It took a long time, but it’s important that victims can speak up. “We got the details from the police and prosecutors. We have learned many things.”
Who is the defendant?
Ten men of different nationalities have stood trial for the attacks, including Salah Abdeslam, the only Paris attacker still alive. Mr. Abdeslam, who was accused of helping to plan the Brussels bombings, was sentenced to life in prison for the Paris attacks; The courts have yet to determine where he will serve his sentence.
Eight of the men were charged with murder and attempted murder in the context of terrorism and participating in the activities of a terrorist group. Among them was Mohamed Abrini, who had arrived at Brussels Airport earlier in March 2016 and left a suitcase of explosives without detonating it; and Osama Krayen, a Swede accused of planning to participate in the subway bombings.
One of those defendants, Oussama Attar, was tried in absentia. He was declared dead by the Islamic State in November 2017, although his death was never confirmed.
Smail Farisi, was only charged with participating in the activities of a terrorist group. The prosecution requested that Ibrahim Farisi be completely acquitted and that request was granted.
How was the verdict decided?
After seven months of testimony from victims, experts and defendants, 12 jurors and 15 surrogates discussed for 18 days in a heavily guarded location in a Brussels hotel, where they were barred from contacting the outside world.
During that time, they developed answers and explanations to nearly 300 questions prepared by the presiding judge, Laurence Massart, about the guilt or innocence of each defendant and about the damage of the attacks.
