Suspects in Paris attacks on stand after victims' testimony

The lone survivor of the Islamic State cell that attacked Paris in November 2015 is coming under public questioning for the first time in France

PARIS -- The lone survivor of the cell of Islamic State group extremists who attacked Paris in November 2015 came under public questioning Tuesday for the first time in France, describing a close family life and his neighborhood acquaintance with many of the other defendants seated alongside him behind courtroom glass.

Salah Abdeslam, who discarded a malfunctioning explosive vest on Nov. 13, 2015 and fled, is one of 20 men on trial for the coordinated attacks that killed 130 people outside a sports stadium, at crowded restaurants and at a rock concert.

All of the attackers who fired at people or detonated explosive vests that night died. The men now on trial are largely accused of helping with logistics or transportation. Six of the 20 are being tried in absentia.

The hearing on Tuesday followed five weeks of testimony from attack survivors as well as grieving families, including relatives of a man who later killed himself after struggling with the trauma. At the start of the trial, Abdeslam wore all black, spoke harshly and identified his profession as “fighter for Islamic State.” He said the deaths of so many innocent people were “nothing personal.”