A court in Belgium ruled Thursday to extradite the suspect of the Paris terror attacks, Salah Abdeslam to France. The defendant initially objected the extradition however, he finally agreed to the ruling. Belgian and French authorities say they are now considering the procedure of the transfer.
Salah Abdeslam, 26 years old, who was in Belgium's custody after French authorities issued a European arrest warrant is granted with extradition, CNN News reported. According to Belgian and French authorities, both will now consider together on how to proceed further in the execution of the transfer. The date of Abdeslam's transfer to France is still not known.
Abdeslam, is among the 10 suspects for the Paris terror attacks, killing 130 people on November 13 last year. He was captured in a Brussels suburb on March 18, four days before terrorist attacks killed 32 people at Brussels airport and subway. He has been a fugitive for almost four months and was caught in the suburb of Brussels in Molenbeek.
Cedric Moisse, Abdeslam's lawyer said his client initially did not agree to be extradited however, he eventually changed his mind. "Salah Abdeslam wishes to be transferred to the French authorities. He wishes to cooperate with the French authorities," NBC News reported.
Abdeslam's brother, was also a suicide bomber in the Paris attacks who killed himself when he detonated explosives. His suspected accomplice, Najim Laachraoui who was a Brussels bomber, has been identified using an alias, Soufiane Kayal. Brussels investigators discovered a note on a computer left by a Brussels terrorist and later on blew himself up at the airport, USA Today reported. Abdeslam's arrest suspected prompted to change the date of the attack and carry out the attack in Brussels.
He is believed to be connected to the Brussels attacks, even though he was in custody at the time. ISIS claimed responsibility for the Brussels attacks.Three suicide attackers are dead, and two other attackers are unidentified fugitives.