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Court Date for Paris Terrorist Abdeslam Postponed

Wednesday, March 23, 2016 6:59 am | < 1 Minute Read

In this framegrab taken from VTM, armed police officers escort Salah Abdeslam to a police vehicle during a raid in the Molenbeek neighborhood of Brussels, Belgium, Friday March 18, 2016. The identity of Salah Abdeslam is confirmed Saturday March 19, 2016, by French police and deputy mayor of Molenbeek, Ahmed El Khannouss quoting official Belgium police sources. After an intense four-month manhunt across Europe and beyond, police on Friday captured Salah Abdeslam, the top suspect in last year's deadly Paris attacks, in the same Brussels neighborhood where he grew up. (VTM via AP) BELGIUM OUT — In this framegrab taken from VTM, armed police officers take Salah Abdeslam to a police vehicle during a raid in the Molenbeek neighborhood of Brussels, Belgium, last Friday. (VTM via AP)

A lawyer’s assistant says a judicial hearing in Brussels for Paris terror attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam has been postponed for a day, until Thursday, apparently because of heightened security concerns in the Belgian capital.

Bombing attacks Tuesday in the Brussels airport and subway killed 34 people and wounded scores, and the terrorism alert level throughout Belgium has been raised to its maximum level.

Abdeslam, who was arrested Friday in Brussels, was to appear Wednesday before a panel of judges who could extend his detention by another month. French authorities are seeking Abdeslam’s extradition so he can be tried for his alleged role in the Nov. 13 bomb-and-gun attacks that killed 130 people in Paris.

An assistant to Sven Mary, Abdeslam’s defense lawyer, told The Associated Press her boss was informed that the hearing had been rescheduled for Thursday morning. She refused to give her name.

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