The trial of the March 22 attacks began in Brussels on Wednesday morning. The first key step is to select the people who will make up the popular jury. Seven hundred jurors had previously been drawn by lot and were invited to the Assize Court this morning to express their motivation or to announce their possible request for exemption.
Among the 700 candidates, one name particularly caught the eye: that of Kevin Borlée. The Belgian athlete, member of the Belgian Tornados, thus presented himself to Justitia (Haren), where the entire trial takes place.
The sportsman was one of the many candidates to have applied for an exemption. Unlike others, it was accepted by the President of the Assize Court, Laurence Massart.
Without having to argue at the microphone, Kevin Borlée was quickly able to return home. “I granted you the dispensationpreceded Laurence Massart. It’s a name I remembered. It’s not for medical reasons, you guessed it.“.
Many people claim not being able to sit for many months for family or professional reasons. The president of the court refuses most of the time to accede to their requests, except for real medical incapacities or for too close a link with the facts.
A total of 36 people will be selected to make up the jury.