Paris attacks suspect Abdeslam remains silent in video camera protest

The only surviving suspect from the Paris attacks refused to answer questions when he appeared before an anti-terrorism judge on Thursday. Salah Abdeslam maintained his silence despite being asked repeatedly to open up about the November atrocities which left 130 people dead. The 26-year-old was said to be upset over two round-the-clock surveillance cameras which have been put in the prison cell where he is being held. His lawyer, Frank Berton, told reporters outside the Paris courthouse that he was optimistic Abdeslam, who fled to Belgium where he spent months on the run before being captured, would eventually co-operate with investigators.

He exercised his right to silence

Abdeslam’s lawyer Frank Berton

Meanwhile, two more people have been arrested after the discovery of an abandoned car containing gas cylinders near the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. They were detained on Wednesday night, bringing the total number of people held over the incident to four. The vehicle, which had no registration plates, was found with its hazard lights flashing near the tourist attraction on Saturday night. Police said the car contained six gas tanks and may have been part of a “test run” for a terror attack. The owner of the recovered vehicle was briefly detained and later released, but his “radicalised” 19-year-old daughter was being sought, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.

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