Lawyers For Salah Abdeslam 'May Not' Defend Him

Salah Abdeslam police convoy
French gendarmes at the entrance of the Fleury-Merogis prison after the arrival of a police convoy believed to be carrying Salah Abdeslam, France, April 27. Abdeslam's lawyers have said they may not defend him. Christian Hartmann/Reuters

Lawyers for Salah Abdeslam, the only known survivor of the team accused of carrying out an extremist attack in Paris last November, have said they may not defend him at his trial.

Frank Berton and Sven Mary, two of Abdeslam's legal team, said in an interview Wednesday that the alleged attacker would likely use his right to remain silent, Deutsche Welle reported.

"We are convinced, and he told us so, that he will not talk and will use his right to remain silent," Berton said.

"What do you want us to do in our position? I've said it from the start, if my client remains silent, I'll drop his defense," he added.

Abdeslam has been charged with terrorist murder, and has been held in solitary confinement with CCTV monitoring since April.

His specific role in the attack, which killed 130, remains unclear, but police believe he was involved in transporting three suicide bombers to Saint-Denis, the site of one of the incidents that made up the multi-part attack.

Abdeslam was arrested in Belgium four months after the attacks, having fled France.

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