Terrorist defendant El Haddad Asufi ‘made every effort to arrive at trial with traces of violence’ | Process attacks Brussels

El Haddad Asufi had requested medical assistance at the trial on Thursday morning after alleging that he was strangled during his transfer from his cell to court. He also said he lost consciousness for a while.

A medical examiner appointed by President Laurence Massart ruled that the accused had injuries “on the neck and neck consistent with what he described”, most notably an arm trap. He also had injuries to his knees and head, which are consistent with his statement that he would have fallen, it sounded. He was, however, medically fit to attend the trial. El Haddad Asufi then decided to leave the room, followed by the six other accused in the box.

His lawyer, Master Jonathan de Taye, then filed a complaint with the Brussels public prosecutor’s office, but the local police Brussels Capital/Ixelles had already drawn up an official report for rebellion against El Haddan Asufi on Thursday morning after the incident.

VRT News has been able to view that official report, in which the police officer involved in the incident gives his version of the facts. This would show that El Haddad Asufi did not want to cooperate in any way with the pre-transport inspection and could only be transferred with difficulty.

For example, a first search of the seven accused who had to be transferred went smoothly, but things went wrong when the second search started, in which the accused had to undress and bend their knees a few times. The team that had to carry out that check was not ready yet, so El Haddad Asufi would have been asked to stand with his face to the wall and look straight ahead. He would have refused, verbally lashed out at the police officer involved, and approached him threateningly. The policeman is said to have taken El Haddad Asufi by the arm and pushed his face against the wall.

When it was his turn for the nude search, El Haddad Asufi would have resisted again, after which he would have been grabbed by two officers, facing the wall, and one of the officers would have grabbed him at the level of the chest. It is at that moment that El Haddad Asufi is said to have dropped to the ground and briefly feigned suffocation.

Then the police officers who had to search him would have negotiated with him for half an hour, while he sat on the floor and refused to stand. In addition, El Haddad Asufi would have said that he wanted bruises everywhere. El Haddad Asufi was eventually helped to his feet, searched and put on a bulletproof vest, but would have fallen again and only been taken to the transport vehicle with great difficulty. In the eyes of the police officer involved in the incident, he did everything possible not to be taken to the assize court or to arrive there with traces of violence, according to VRT Nieuws.