Belgian court finds Paris attacker Salah Abdeslam guilty of murder in 2016 Brussels bombings

Defence lawyers talk to defendants through a specially designed glass box in the courtroom before the start of the trial of alleged jihadists accused of directing or aiding suicide bombings in Brussels' metro and airport on March 22, 2016, at the Justitia building in Brussels, December 5, 2022. © Olivier Matthys, AFP (archives)

A jury on Tuesday found six people guilty of terrorist murder for extremist attacks in 2016 that killed 32 people, Belgium’s worst peacetime violence, according to Belgian media.

Among those convicted was Salah Abdeslam, who is already serving a life sentence in France for his role in the 2015 attacks on Paris. Both the Brussels and Paris attacks were claimed by the Islamic State group.

The verdict was reported by public broadcaster RTBF, newspaper Le Soir and news websites HLN and Nieuwsblad.

The 12-person jury is reading out the verdict after nearly three weeks of deliberation. Terrorist murder was among various charges suspects were facing. Sentencing will be decided in a separate process, not before September. 

(AP)