20 People Convicted in 2015 Paris Terror Attack, Bataclan Massacre

It seems appropriate that one of the first headlines in my google search for the best report on tonight’s verdict is music magazine Rolling Stone. 

Twenty men were convicted for their roles in the November 2015 terror attacks in Paris, which left 130 people dead, including 90 who were attending an Eagles of Death Metal show at the Bataclan theatre,

The 10-month trial largely centered around Salah Abdeslam, whom prosecutors believed to be the sole surviving member of the Islamic State extremist cell that carried out the attack, which also targeted restaurants, bars, and the national sports stadium. Abdeslam was found guilty of all the charges against him, including murder as part of an organized terrorist gang.

The attacks, for which Islamic State claimed responsibility, began when suicide bombers struck outside the national sports stadium on the night of Friday 13 November 2015. Drive-by shootings and suicide bombings targeting cafés and restaurants followed, and finally, a gun attack at the Bataclan theatre during a rock concert by Eagles of Death Metal

PARIS, June 29 (Reuters) – A French court on Wednesday handed a life sentence to … Salah Abdeslam  guilty (of) terrorism and murder charges, with no possibility of early release, the most severe criminal sentence possible in France and one handed out only four times previously.

The other defendants were accused of intending to partake in the attack or helping the attackers to some degree, and they were all found guilty of most of the charges they faced. Of the 20 defendants, 14 appeared in court, while the last six were presumed dead or missing.

Thirteen other defendants, 10 of whom were also in custody, were also in the courtroom alongside Abdeslam at the hearings.

The court found them guilty of crimes ranging from helping provide the attackers with weapons or cars to planning to take part in the attack. Six more, tried in absentia and believed to be dead, were also found guilty.

Some of those judged in absentia were also sentenced to life in prison, as was Mohamed Abrini, who was meant to be the 10th member of the commando unit until he backed off a few days before the attacks. Unlike Abdeslam, Abrini will qualify for possible early release after 22 years.

The other defendants were sentenced to shorter jail terms. Several will not go back to prison as the time spent in preventive custody will be deducted from their sentence.

The Nov. 13, 2015 attack was carried out by a team of 10 Islamic State extremists, who committed simultaneous shootings and suicide bombings. The events at the Bataclan were the deadliest of the night, with 1,500 people having gathered to watch Eagles of Death Metal. On top of the 90 people killed — a toll that included Eagles of Death Metal’s merch manager Nick Alexander — hundreds were injured at the scene. Bombs went of outside the Stade de

Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes and guitarist Eden Galindo testified back in May.

Hughes spoke about how the attack had changed him during his emotional testimony, saying, “I carry a nervousness in me.” But he stressed that the attackers had not taken away his love of music, “I pray today for them and for their souls, that the light of our lord shines on them,” he said. “I would like to conclude with one word from singer Ozzy Osborne, ‘You can’t kill rock n’ roll! You can’t kill rock n’ roll!’”