The accused’s interrogations ended on Monday with those of four Albanians involved in a sale of weapons. Now place to the pleadings, before a verdict expected in mid-December.
by soren seelow
The two arms planted on the edge of the box like an innkeeper at his counter, the accused pouts by listening to the president’s questions. When his turn comes to answer, he comes alive, sways, speaks with his hands, interrupting his logorrhea from time to time to allow the interpreter in the Albanian language to fulfill his mission. The legs crossed, a hand at the waist, or the low shoulders and the curved belly, Artan Henaj waddles, also changes positions as he changed from instruction versions. He promised to tell the truth, this time, before the Assize Court specially composed of Paris.
The trial of the July 14, 2016 attack in Nice finished with the examination of the facts on Monday, November 21, with the end of the accused’s interrogations. For three days, four Albanians involved in arms trafficking paraded at the helm. Unlike the three other accused returned for facts of terrorism – Walid Ghraieb, Chokri Chafroud and Ramzi Arefa -, these four Albanian nationals, who have never met the terrorist or have, a fortiori, had been the wind of his projects , are judged for simple common law offenses.
The only one to appear, Artan Henaj, known as “Giovanni”, a 44 -year -old cocaine trafficker, admits having sold, through another accused, Ramzi Arefa, the pistol with whom the terrorist of the Promenade English opened fire before being shot in his truck. His joint volcanic, Enkeledja Zace, cleaning lady, bistro owner and occasional prostitute, is accused of having served as a translator during the transaction.
small criminal court
Two of the four Albanians, MAKSIM CERIJ and Endri Elezi, 24 years old at the time of the events, are accused of having transported to the home of Artan Henaj another weapon, an old rusty Kalashnikov, whose final destination remains a mystery. A fifth Albanian should have been heard at this trial: the supplier of the two weapons, Adriatik Elezi, cousin of Endri Elezi. No longer supporting the qualification of “terrorist” who stuck to his skin, he hung himself during his pre-trial detention on June 8, 2018, in his Fleury-Mérogis cell (Essonne).
We haven’t talked much about terrorism, during these three days. The chapter of the Albanians constituted a form of parenthesis, a trial in the trial, far from the immensity of the crime of the Promenade des Anglais. All had initially been indicted for “terrorist criminal association”, and it was not until the end of the investigation, in May 2020, four years after the attack, for the facts to them were requalified as simple offenses to arms legislation. Adriatik Elezi had committed suicide two years earlier.
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