Salah Abdeslam, a key suspect in the Paris attacks in November, has appeared before French judges on charges of murder and being part of a terrorist organisation.
The 26-year-old French national was flown by helicopter from Belgium, where he was arrested last month, to Paris on Wednesday accompanied by an elite squad of gendarmes, and was questioned by anti-terrorist police before his appearance at the Palais de Justice.
His lawyer, Frank Berton, said Abdeslam had been too tired to answer questions but had said he would cooperate with the investigation. Berton said his client had been taken from his cell in a high-security Belgian prison very early in the morning, and described the transfer as “muscular”.
“He had close and numerous protection officers and, even if he is not complaining and is not the kind of boy who complains, it’s obvious the transfer from Belgium to France was very rapid,” Berton said.
“He said today that he would rather not answer questions because he is tired by the transfer, and the judge said said he did not want to interrogate him. But he has said he wishes to express himself later and he will do so.”
Abdeslam was officially put under investigation on a series of charges including terrorist murder, complicity in a terrorist organisation, the holding and use of arms and explosives, and sequestration, relating to hostages held at the Bataclan concert hall.
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http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/27/paris-attacks-suspect-salah-abdeslam-appears-before-french-judges
