Belgian court convicts 8 people over 2016 Brussels bombings

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - A Belgian court found eight people guilty Tuesday for their roles in the 2016 bombing attacks in Brussels that killed more than 30 people and left hundreds injured.

Six of the 10 accused, including figureheads Salah Abdeslam and Mohamed Abrini, were found guilty of “terrorist murder” and attempted murder, according to the Belga news agency, while eight of the 10 were also convicted of participating in the activities of a terrorist group.

Two defendants were acquitted of all charges, the report added.

Following the seven-month trial, the largest in Belgium’s judicial history, with more than 900 civil plaintiffs taking part, the six people found guilty of terrorist murder and attempted murder were Salah Abdeslam, Oussama Atar, Osama Krayem, ​Mohamed Abrini, Ali El Haddad Asufi and Bilal El Makhoukhi.

Abdeslam is already serving a life sentence in France for his role in the Paris terror attacks, which took place a year before the Brussels attack.

The court also added the names of three additional victims to the list of those killed, bringing the official death toll to 35 from 32 previously, the report said.

The trial will be adjourned for the summer following Tuesday’s ruling. The court will meet in September to consider sentencing.