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From Our Own Correspondent

The Paris Terrorism Attack Goes To Trial

From Our Own Correspondent

BBC

News, News Commentary

4.41.3K Ratings

🗓️ 12 February 2022

⏱️ 29 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A hundred and thirty people died during the 2015 Islamic State attacks in Paris. Now, one alleged participant has gone on trial, along with others charged as accomplices. What is it like for families of the victims, and those who were there on the night, to come face to face with those they believe may be partly responsible? Lucy Williamson was watching in court, and sees more at work than just deciding on innocence or guilt. According to Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, Ukrainians and Russians are one people. Yet the French President, Emmanuel Macron has referred to Ukrainians as: “our European brothers.” Observers have sometimes simplified matters, by assuming that those in Ukraine who speak Russian lean towards Moscow, while the Ukrainian speakers see Kiev as their capital, and western Europe as their allies. Whether or not such a neat division was ever valid, Sarah Rainsford has found it seriously wanting now. Given Russia currently has such a tense relationship with the west, the country is keen to improve its links elsewhere, both political and commercial. That could well be helped by a road being built, which aims to carry more Russian freight and other traffic south into neighbouring Georgia. Yet it is being constructed right on top of another, very old road, and also passes through the “Khada Valley,” a spot famous in Georgia for its beauty and wildlife. So when Amelia Stewart visited, she found environmentalists and some locals up in arms about the project. There are some spectators, and there have been the usual triumphs and disappointments of any sporting event. Yet nobody can claim that this year’s Beijing Winter Olympics have been anything like a normal contest. China has imposed one of the most severe lockdown of any country in the world, in response to Covid, so those attending have had their experience highly restricted. They include our correspondent, Stephen McDonell, who has been attempting to report from the scene. Australian English is famously expressive, particularly when it comes to its inventive insults. This goes for the political realm as well; indeed, the current Prime Minister has just has a few choice words thrown at him by his own Deputy. However, as Phil Mercer explains, this is nothing new.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts

0:05.4

During the Cold War confrontation, the old cartunish image took hold of Russian soldiers

0:12.0

with snow on their boots bent on invasion. Today we hear how it's not a joke as real Russian

0:19.1

troops muster on the border with Ukraine and with people there sometimes positively demonizing

0:25.8

their neighbours. A new road out of Russia is causing controversy in another neighbouring

0:31.8

country, Georgia, Bears and biodiversity are under threat. We take you behind the scenes

0:39.6

at the Beijing Winter Olympics where our correspondent is trying to maintain normal service, despite

0:46.5

the severe Covid restrictions placed on journalists and a death of spectators. And if you thought

0:53.4

Boris Johnson had been coming in for some flat lately, wait until you hear how Australian

0:59.8

politicians are abused. First, what's it like to stare into the face of the man you believe

1:06.3

is responsible in part for murdering members of your family? What's it like when he's accused

1:13.0

of murdering many members of many families? That's what's been happening in a Paris court

1:18.9

room this week, where Sala Abd al-Slam is on trial, accused of taking part in a massacre

1:25.5

there, carried out by Islamic State militants back in 2015. It was on the 13th of November

1:33.2

that year that a series of attacks were launched, bombings at a football stadium, drive

1:39.1

by shootings, and then there was the killing of people attending a rock concert at the

1:44.6

Bataclan Music venue. In total, 130 died, including all but one of the attackers. Abd al-Slam

1:53.5

is alleged to be the only surviving assailant. Lucy Williamson watched him go on trial and

2:00.1

says there's more going on than just deciding a man's innocence or guilt.

2:06.2

Not many trials are important enough to have a courtroom specially built. The futuristic

2:12.0

cube squatting inside the vaulted stone of the old courts of justice in Paris was officially

2:18.2

built to meet the need for security and solemnity, a way of separating and containing the story

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