Mohamed Abrini: Difference between revisions

Mohamed Abrini
Mohamed Abrini
	Still from CCTV footage in Brussels Airport showing Mohamed Abrini
Born	27 December 1984 (age 39); Sint-Agatha-Berchem, Belgium
Status	Serving a life sentence
Nationality	Belgian-Moroccan
Known for	Islamic terrorism

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Mohamed Abrini (Arabic: محمد أبريني, born 27 December 1984) is a Belgian Islamic terrorist. On 29 June 2022 he was convicted of involvement in the November 2015 Paris attacks and received a sentence of life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years. In July 2023 he was convicted of terrorist-related murder and attempted murder for his role in the 2016 Brussels bombings, and given a sentence of 30 years.

Personal background

Abrini was born to Moroccan parents in Berchem, Brussels, and grew up in the neighbouring district of Molenbeek, where he was a childhood friend of future terrorist Salah Abdeslam.^[1] He was convicted of theft aged seventeen and went on to acquire a long criminal record and several prison sentences. It was while he was in prison in 2014 that he learnt of the death of his younger brother who was fighting in Syria.^[2]

Involvement in the November 2015 Paris attacks

In June 2015 Abrini went to Syria to visit his brother's grave and met up with Abdelhamid Abaaoud, another childhood friend from Molenbeek.^[3] Abaaoud asked him to go to Birmingham to collect £3000, most of which came from housing benefit payments to a Syrian fighter.^[4]

Abrini took part in preparations for the Paris attacks and, on 12 November 2015, set off for Paris in a convoy with the other ten terrorists. During the night he took a taxi back to Brussels, where he went into hiding.^[5] Two days later he was identified as a suspect when CCTV footage emerged of him with Abdeslam at a service station on 11 November 2015.^[6]

Brussels bombings and arrest

While he was in hiding in Brussels, Abrini took part in preparations for the Brussels bombings. On 22 March 2016, he went to Brussels Airport in Zaventem with two other suicide bombers, Najim Laachraoui and Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, but fled without detonating his suitcase of explosives. He was arrested on 8 April 2016 in the Brussels district of Anderlecht and admitted to being the "man in a hat" who had been captured on CCTV at the airport alongside the suicide bombers.^[6]^[5]

Paris trial

On 8 September 2021, Abrini, along with Abdeslam and 18 others, went on trial at the Palais de Justice in Paris. The trial lasted over nine months, with verdicts announced on 29 June 2022.^[7] The prosecution asked for a life sentence with a minimum term of 22 years; Abrini's lawyers, Marie Violleau and Stanislas Eskenazi, argued for a sentence of 30 years, acknowledging Abrini's complicity in the attacks but emphasizing the fact that he had renounced his role as a suicide bomber the night before.^[8] The court found him guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years.^[7]

Brussels trial

Abrini was due to stand trial for his role in the Brussels bombings in October 2022 but the start of the trial was delayed when lawyers objected to the individual glass cubicles that had been provided for the defendants. The cubicles were replaced by a glass box in the specially built courtroom in the former NATO headquarters.^[9] After a trial lasting seven months and jury deliberations lasting eighteen days, Abrini was found guilty of terrorist-related murder and attempted murder.^[10] He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.^[11]

References

^ "France charges suspected Brussels bomber over Paris attacks". France24. 30 January 2017.
^ "Les 3 questions qui se posent après l'arrestation de Mohamed Abrini". Le Soir. 9 April 2016.
^ "De "brioche" à "Abou Yahya", le parcours de Mohamed Abrini, accusé de premier plan au procès des attentats du 13-Novembre". franceinfo. 8 November 2021.
^ "Man found guilty over Belgium attacks terror suspect cash". BBC. 6 December 2016.
^ ^a ^b "L'homme au chapeau se livre sur les attentats de Paris et Bruxelles". France Inter. 4 April 2017.
^ ^a ^b "Paris attacks: Key suspect Abrini arrested in Brussels". BBC News. BBC. 9 April 2016.
^ ^a ^b "Paris trial: Salah Abdeslam guilty as historic trial ends". BBC. 30 June 2022.
^ "Défense de Mohamed Abrini : "vous n'oublierez pas qu'il n'a jamais cessé de douter"". France24. 23 June 2022.
^ "Brussels terror attacks trial postponed over 'glass box' bungle". France24. 23 September 2022.
^ "Brussels bombers found guilty after long murder trial". BBC News. 25 July 2023.
^ "Eight men sentenced over 2016 Brussels bombings, ending Belgium's largest-ever criminal trial". The Guardian. 16 September 2023.

[1] "France charges suspected Brussels bomber over Paris attacks". France24. 30 January 2017.

[2] "Les 3 questions qui se posent après l'arrestation de Mohamed Abrini". Le Soir. 9 April 2016.

[3] "De "brioche" à "Abou Yahya", le parcours de Mohamed Abrini, accusé de premier plan au procès des attentats du 13-Novembre". franceinfo. 8 November 2021.

[4] "Man found guilty over Belgium attacks terror suspect cash". BBC. 6 December 2016.

[FI-5] "L'homme au chapeau se livre sur les attentats de Paris et Bruxelles". France Inter. 4 April 2017.

[2BBC-6] "Paris attacks: Key suspect Abrini arrested in Brussels". BBC News. BBC. 9 April 2016.

[BBC-7] "Paris trial: Salah Abdeslam guilty as historic trial ends". BBC. 30 June 2022.

[8] "Défense de Mohamed Abrini : "vous n'oublierez pas qu'il n'a jamais cessé de douter"". France24. 23 June 2022.

[9] "Brussels terror attacks trial postponed over 'glass box' bungle". France24. 23 September 2022.

[10] "Brussels bombers found guilty after long murder trial". BBC News. 25 July 2023.

[11] "Eight men sentenced over 2016 Brussels bombings, ending Belgium's largest-ever criminal trial". The Guardian. 16 September 2023.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{short description|Belgian national of Moroccan descent|bot=PearBOT 5}}
+{{short description|Belgian-Moroccan terrorist|bot=PearBOT 5}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
 {{Infobox person
 | name = Mohamed Abrini
@@ Line 5: / Line 6: @@
 | caption = Still from [[Closed-circuit television|CCTV]] footage in [[Brussels Airport]] showing Mohamed Abrini
 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1984|12|27}}
-| birth_place = [[Sint-Agatha-Berchem]], [[Belgium]]
+| birth_place = [[Sint-Agatha-Berchem]], Belgium
-| status = In custody
+| status = Serving a life sentence
-|nationality=Belgian
+|nationality= Belgian-Moroccan
+| known_for = [[Islamic terrorism]]
-| known_for = Alleged involvement in the [[November 2015 Paris attacks]] and the [[2016 Brussels bombings]]
 }}
+'''Mohamed Abrini''' ({{langx|ar|محمد أبريني}}, born 27 December 1984) is a Belgian [[Islamic terrorism|Islamic terrorist]]. On 29 June 2022 he was convicted of involvement in the [[November 2015 Paris attacks]] and received a sentence of life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years. In July 2023 he was convicted of terrorist-related murder and attempted murder for his role in the [[2016 Brussels bombings]], and given a sentence of 30 years.
-'''Mohamed Abrini''' (born 27 December 1984)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.interpol.int/notice/search/wanted/2015-77665 |title=ABRINI, MOHAMED |work=[[Interpol]] |access-date=9 April 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.is/20160409/http://www.interpol.int/notice/search/wanted/2015-77665 |archive-date=9 April 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> is a Belgian national of [[Moroccans|Moroccan]] descent who is alleged to have been involved in the planning and execution of the [[November 2015 Paris attacks]] and the [[2016 Brussels bombings]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Belgium confirms arrest of ‘man in the hat’ at airport bombing |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |date=April 9, 2016 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/belgium-confirms-arrest-of-man-in-the-hat-at-airport-bombing/2016/04/09/3c169278-fe85-11e5-886f-a037dba38301_story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171017094252/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/belgium-confirms-arrest-of-man-in-the-hat-at-airport-bombing/2016/04/09/3c169278-fe85-11e5-886f-a037dba38301_story.html |archive-date=17 October 2017 |access-date=15 April 2019 |first=James |last=McAuley}}</ref>
 ==Personal background==
-Abrini is a [[Belgians|Belgian]] national of [[Moroccans|Moroccan]] descent and was a childhood friend of both [[Salah Abdeslam]] and his brother Brahim. He was 31 at the time of his arrest.<ref name="bbc">{{cite news |title=Paris attacks: Key suspect Abrini arrested in Brussels |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36000407 |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=8 April 2016 |date=9 April 2016 |publisher=[[BBC]]}}</ref> Abrini grew up in Brussels, where he worked in a bakery, earning the nickname "Brioche", before becoming involved in petty crime and then with radical Islamists living in the Brussels district of [[Molenbeek]].<ref name=wsj>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/belgian-authorities-arrest-suspected-third-brussels-airport-attacks-officials-say-1460129257 |first=Julian E. |last=Barnes |first2=Laurence |last2=Norman |first3=Gabrielle |last3=Steinhauser |title=Belgium Arrests Key Suspects in Brussels Attacks |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=8 April 2016 |access-date=8 April 2016 |publisher=[[Dow Jones & Company, Inc.]]}}</ref> His brother was killed in [[Syria]] fighting for the Islamic State.<ref name="cnn">{{cite news |title=Paris terror suspect Mohamed Abrini arrested in Belgium |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/08/europe/brussels-attack-arrests/ |work=[[CNN]] |access-date=8 April 2016 |date=9 April 2016 |first=Greg |last=Botelho |first2=Paul |last2=Cruickshank |first3=Steve |last3=Almasy |publisher=[[Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.]]}}</ref> Abrini is also believed to have fought in Syria.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.sky.com/story/1675214/who-are-mohamed-abrini-and-osama-kraiem |title=Who Are Mohamed Abrini And Osama Kraiem? |work=[[Sky News]] |access-date=8 April 2016 |date=9 April 2016 |publisher=[[Sky UK]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411012454/http://news.sky.com/story/1675214/who-are-mohamed-abrini-and-osama-kraiem |archive-date=11 April 2016}}</ref>
+Abrini was born to Moroccan parents in Berchem, Brussels, and grew up in the neighbouring district of [[Molenbeek-Saint-Jean|Molenbeek]], where he was a childhood friend of future terrorist [[Salah Abdeslam]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20170130-france-brussels-bomber-abrini-questioning-over-paris-attacks |title=France charges suspected Brussels bomber over Paris attacks |work=France24 |date=30 January 2017 }}</ref> He was convicted of theft aged seventeen and went on to acquire a long criminal record and several prison sentences. It was while he was in prison in 2014 that he learnt of the death of his younger brother who was fighting in Syria.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.lesoir.be/art/1176134/article/actualite/belgique/2016-04-09/3-questions-qui-se-posent-apres-l-arrestation-mohamed-abrini |title=Les 3 questions qui se posent après l'arrestation de Mohamed Abrini |work=Le Soir |date=9 April 2016 }}</ref>
-==Alleged involvement in the November 2015 Paris attacks==
-During the manhunt for [[Salah Abdeslam]], video footage was recovered, showing Abrini with Abdeslam at a petrol station on 11 November. In the footage, the two had stopped a black [[Renault Clio]] at the station.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rtl.be/info/monde/international/mohamed-abrini-a-ete-vu-avec-salah-abdeslam-la-belgique-lance-un-avis-de-recherche-international-773654.aspx|title=Mohamed Abrini a été vu avec Salah Abdeslam: la Belgique lance un avis de recherche international (photos)|trans-title=Abrini Mohamed Salah was seen with Abdeslam: Belgium launches an international wanted notice (photos)|publisher=RTL|date=24 November 2015|accessdate=24 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/paris-terror-attacks-new-suspect-sought/ar-BBnoKN4?li=AAaeUIW|title=Paris Terror Attacks: New Suspect Sought|publisher=Sky News|agency=[[MSN]]|date=24 November 2015|accessdate=24 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410145522/http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/paris-terror-attacks-new-suspect-sought/ar-BBnoKN4?li=AAaeUIW|archive-date=10 April 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> Abrini is believed to have driven Abdeslam to Paris on 11 November.<ref name="laht.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.laht.com/article.asp?CategoryId=12395&ArticleId=2402380|title=Salah Abdeslam phone call leads to fifth arrest in Belgium|publisher=[[The Brussels Times]]|accessdate=25 December 2015}}</ref>
+==Involvement in the November 2015 Paris attacks==
-A manhunt for Abrini was launched after his association with Abdeslam was uncovered. Belgian authorities issued a warrant for his arrest, and described him as being dangerous and likely armed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsweek.com/belgium-captures-paris-attacks-fugitive-mohamed-abrini-brussels-445596|title=BELGIUM CAPTURES PARIS ATTACKS FUGITIVE MOHAMED ABRINI IN BRUSSELS|work=Newsweek|accessdate=8 April 2016|author=Jack Moore}}</ref>
+{{main|November 2015 Paris attacks}}
+In June 2015 Abrini went to Syria to visit his brother's grave and met up with [[Abdelhamid Abaaoud]], another childhood friend from Molenbeek.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.francetvinfo.fr/faits-divers/terrorisme/attaques-du-13-novembre-a-paris/proces-des-attentats-du-13-novembre-2015/de-brioche-a-abou-yahya-le-parcours-de-mohamed-abrini-accuse-de-premier-plan-au-proces-des-attentats-du-13-novembre_4832883.html |title=De "brioche" à "Abou Yahya", le parcours de Mohamed Abrini, accusé de premier plan au procès des attentats du 13-Novembre |work=franceinfo |date=8 November 2021 }}</ref> Abaaoud asked him to go to [[Birmingham]] to collect £3000, most of which came from housing benefit payments to a Syrian fighter.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38223310 |title=Man found guilty over Belgium attacks terror suspect cash |work=BBC |date=6 December 2016 }}</ref>
+Abrini took part in preparations for the Paris attacks and, on 12 November 2015, set off for Paris in a convoy with the other ten terrorists. During the night he took a taxi back to Brussels, where he went into hiding.<ref name=FI>{{cite news |url=https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/l-homme-au-chapeau-se-livre-sur-les-attentats-de-paris-et-bruxelles-6957170 |title=L'homme au chapeau se livre sur les attentats de Paris et Bruxelles |work=France Inter |date=4 April 2017 }}</ref> Two days later he was identified as a suspect when CCTV footage emerged of him with Abdeslam at a service station on 11 November 2015.<ref name=2BBC>{{cite news |title=Paris attacks: Key suspect Abrini arrested in Brussels |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36000407 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=9 April 2016 |publisher=[[BBC]]}}</ref>
 ==Brussels bombings and arrest==
 {{main|2016 Brussels bombings}}
-Abrini is "more than likely" the "man in the hat" filmed at Brussels airport shortly before the explosions on 22 March 2016. He was filmed together with the two suicide bombers [[Najim Laachraoui]] and [[Ibrahim el-Bakraoui]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Paris attacks suspect Abrini Mohamed arrested in Brussels |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/belgian-arrests-1.3526839 |work=[[CBC.ca]] |author=Thomson Reuters |author-link=Thomson Reuters |access-date=8 April 2016 |publisher=[[CBC/Radio-Canada]] |agency=[[CBC News]]}}</ref> Shortly after the explosions, Abrini was filmed walking away from the airport towards the city center.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/videos/tv/2016/04/07/new-video-released-uknown-brussels-airport-attacker-sciutto-lead-dnt.cnn/video/playlists/deadly-explosions-rock-brussels/ |title=New video shows Belgian terror attacker leaving airport |work=[[CNN]] |date=7 April 2016 |access-date=21 May 2019 |publisher=[[Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.]] |author=The Lead with Jake Tapper |author-link=The Lead with Jake Tapper}}</ref>
+While he was in hiding in Brussels, Abrini took part in preparations for the Brussels bombings. On 22 March 2016, he went to [[Brussels Airport]] in [[Zaventem]] with two other suicide bombers, [[Najim Laachraoui]] and [[Ibrahim el-Bakraoui]], but fled without detonating his suitcase of explosives. He was arrested on 8 April 2016 in the Brussels district of [[Anderlecht]] and admitted to being the "man in a hat" who had been captured on CCTV at the airport alongside the suicide bombers.<ref name=2BBC/><ref name=FI/>
-On 8 April 2016, he was arrested in the [[Anderlecht]] municipality of [[Brussels]].<ref name="bbc" /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://reuters.com/article/idUSKCN0X51QK |date=8 April 2016 |title=Belgians seize key suspects in Paris, Brussels attacks |first=Robert-Jan |last=Bartunek |first2=Alastair |last2=Macdonald |work=[[Reuters]] |access-date=8 April 2016}}</ref> After being confronted with photographs he admitted he was the "man in a hat" seen on airport security cameras.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-belgium-blast-arrests-idUSKCN0X60HP |title=Belgium says Brussels attacks 'man in a hat' found and charged |work=[[Reuters]] |date=9 April 2016 |access-date=21 May 2019 |first=Robert-Jan |last=Bartunek}}</ref>
+==Paris trial==
+{{main|Paris attacks trial}}
+On 8 September 2021, Abrini, along with Abdeslam and 18 others, went on trial at the [[Palais de Justice, Paris|Palais de Justice]] in Paris. The trial lasted over nine months, with verdicts announced on 29 June 2022.<ref name=BBC>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-61989354 |title=Paris trial: Salah Abdeslam guilty as historic trial ends |work=BBC |date=30 June 2022}}</ref> The prosecution asked for a life sentence with a minimum term of 22 years; Abrini's lawyers, Marie Violleau and Stanislas Eskenazi, argued for a sentence of 30 years, acknowledging Abrini's complicity in the attacks but emphasizing the fact that he had renounced his role as a suicide bomber the night before.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.france24.com/fr/france/20220623-d%C3%A9fense-de-mohamed-abrini-vous-n-oublierez-jamais-qu-il-n-a-pas-cess%C3%A9-de-douter |title=Défense de Mohamed Abrini : "vous n'oublierez pas qu'il n'a jamais cessé de douter" |work=France24 |date=23 June 2022 }}</ref> The court found him guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years.<ref name=BBC/>
+==Brussels trial==
+Abrini was due to stand trial for his role in the Brussels bombings in October 2022 but the start of the trial was delayed when lawyers objected to the individual glass cubicles that had been provided for the defendants. The cubicles were replaced by a glass box in the specially built courtroom in the former [[NATO]] headquarters.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20220923-brussels-terror-attacks-trial-postponed-over-glass-box-bungle |title=Brussels terror attacks trial postponed over 'glass box' bungle |work=France24 |date=23 September 2022 }}</ref> After a trial lasting seven months and jury deliberations lasting eighteen days, Abrini was found guilty of terrorist-related murder and attempted murder.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66299186|title=Brussels bombers found guilty after long murder trial|date=25 July 2023|work=BBC News}}</ref> He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/16/eight-men-sentenced-over-2016-brussels-bombings-ending-belgiums-largest-ever-criminal-trial|title=Eight men sentenced over 2016 Brussels bombings, ending Belgium's largest-ever criminal trial|date=16 September 2023|work=The Guardian}}</ref>
 == See also ==
@@ Line 34: / Line 46: @@
 {{Brussels ISIL terror cell}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Abrini, Mohamed}}
 [[Category:1984 births]]
-[[Category:Living people]]
+[[Category:Belgian mass murderers]]
 [[Category:Belgian people of Moroccan-Berber descent]]
-[[Category:Belgian Islamists]]
+[[Category:Islamic terrorism in Belgium]]
-[[Category:Berber Islamists]]
+[[Category:Living people]]
 [[Category:Moroccan Islamists]]
 [[Category:Perpetrators of the 2016 Brussels bombings]]
-[[Category:Islamic terrorism in Belgium]]
+[[Category:Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant members from Belgium]]
-[[Category:Belgian mass murderers]]
+[[Category:Islamist mass murderers]]

v t e Brussels ISIL terror cell
Attacks	November 2015 Paris attacks reactions Brussels bombings reactions
Main suspects	Abdelhamid Abaaoud Salah Abdeslam
Paris suspects	Stade de France Bilal Hadfi Ahmad Al Mohammad M al-Mahmod Bars and restaurants Brahim Abdeslam Chakib Akrouh Bataclan theatre Samy Amimour Omar Ismail Mostefai Foued Mohamed-Aggad Others Fabien Clain Mohamed Belkaid Monir Ahmed Alaaj
Brussels suspects	Brussels Airport Ibrahim El Bakraoui Najim Laachraoui Mohamed Abrini Maalbeek metro station Khalid El Bakraoui Osama Krayem
Related	Cannes-Torcy cell January 2015 anti-terrorism operations in Belgium 2015 Saint-Denis raid Opération Chammal Brussels lockdown 2016 Brussels police raids
Terrorism in Belgium Terrorism in France List of terrorist incidents in France List of Islamist terrorist attacks