Trial of Brussels Nemmouche: the suspect "was my jailer and executioner"

Two French journalists detained by Islamic State militants in Syria testified against a man accused of killing four people at the Jewish Museum in Brussels in May 2014.

"I have absolutely no doubt that Mehdi Nemmouche, who is here now, was my jailer and executioner in Syria.I knew him under the name of Abu Omar," said Nicolas Henin.

The ex-captive Didier François accepted.

The 33-year-old accused denies killing an Israeli couple, a local worker and a French volunteer at the museum.

He reportedly went to Syria in January 2013 and would be subject to a separate trial in France for his alleged role as jailer of the Islamic State.

What the witnesses said

The trial began last month, but it was heard for the first time on Thursday by Nicolas Hénin and Didier François, detained by Islamic State militants in a hospital in Aleppo in June 2013 and released in April 2014, a month before the attack of the Jewish Museum.

Of the 23 foreign hostages held by the EI, eight were in Aleppo and Mr. François told the court that their captors were all part of a structure and had participated in the organization of the attacks. to the bomb of Paris and Brussels in November 2015 and March 2016.

He added that the Paris bomb maker and kamikaze of Brussels airport, Najim Laachraoui, was one of the guards.

Mr. Henin told the court that Mehdi Nemmouche was sadistic because he was full of hate – "anti-Semitic hate". He added that Nemmouche admired the Toulouse jihadist murderer Mohamed Merah and hated Shiite Muslims.

"We were taken out of our cell for interrogation, then returned to a cell next door to the torture room, dressed in combat gear and clashed several times," said François.

He added that he did not doubt that Mehdi Nemmouche had tortured Syrian prisoners. "We heard his voice, we recognized him," he said.

His captive companion said that the suspect would hit them during their toilet visits, blindfolded.

The federal prosecutor asked him if he had already met the two journalists. The accused refused to answer. The trial continues.

What happened in Brussels in May 2014?

On May 24, 2014, an isolated armed man entered the lobby of the Jewish Museum in Brussels. He opened fire on those who were inside and escaped in a few minutes. Four people died during the attack in the district of Sablon:

• Emmanuel Riva, 54, and Myriam Riva, 53, from Tel Aviv, Israel
• Dominique Sabrier, 66, French volunteer at the museum
• Alexandre Strens, 25, worked at the museum reception

Medhi Nemmouche, born in France, was arrested with two firearms six days later in Marseille in the south of France.

• Reopening of the Jewish Museum in Brussels