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Verdicts reached in 2016 Brussels terror attacks trial – JURIST

A Belgian court on Tuesday handed down verdicts on the 2016 Brussels terrorist attacks targeting the airport terminal and a subway station in which 32 lives were lost and 300 people were injured. Out of the ten individuals facing charges, six have been convicted of murder and attempted murder. Salah Abdeslam, already serving a life sentence in France for his involvement in the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks, was among those found guilty. Another was Mohamed Abrini, who was a childhood friend of Salah Abdeslam and from Brussels. He attempted to carry out an attack at Zaventem airport but managed to escape after his explosives failed to detonate. One other person convicted was Oussama Atar, who was suspected of organizing the deadly attacks in both Paris and Brussels. Authorities found him guilty of terrorist murder in absentia, as they believed he died during the final months of the Islamic State group’s fighting in Iraq and Syria.The court acquitted two defendants of murder but found them guilty of participating in a terrorist group. The court completely acquitted two others.The trial, Belgium’s largest-ever, began in December and saw around 1,000 victims in attendance. The trial took place in Brussels, at the former NATO headquarters. The court will likely sentence the defendants later, possibly in September. Five of the accused are already serving sentences in Paris for their involvement in previous terrorist attacks.