Abdeslam, who was sentenced to an ‘incompressible’ life sentence for the offenses in Paris, is in a cell in the prison of Réau, a municipality in Seine-et-Marne, in a section for long-term prisoners. At the beginning of February he was transferred from our country, where he was also found guilty of the shooting in Forest on March 15, 2016 and the attacks a week later in Brussels and Zaventem.
Abdeslam filed summary proceedings. But in the ruling on Friday, the summary proceedings judges ruled that “Abdeslam has not introduced any means in his request that raise serious doubts about the legality of his detention in isolation.” Legally, insulation is possible “as a protection or safety measure”. After summary proceedings, the merits of the case will be heard at a later date.
Before his trials, Abdeslam was in prison in Fleury-Mérogis (Essonne) in a very strict isolation regime. He was the only one in France subject to round-the-clock video surveillance.
Today, Abdeslam is no longer in that regime. But his defense believes that isolation is no longer justified. His lawyers asked that he be taken out of jail for the hearing, but even that was denied.