Lawyers of victims of the 2016 Brussels bombing attack on Monday said they had been “taken hostage” by defendants’ repeated walkouts and protests against security measures since the opening of the trial this month.
Lawyers of four defendants - Mohamed Abrini, Sofiane Ayari, Ali El Haddad Asufi and Osama Krayem - have said they would not comply with cross-examinations, scheduled to start on Wednesday, as long as the issue of "humiliating" security measures during their transfer to court was not solved.
But Maryse Alie, defending Life4Brussels, a group of victims of the triple suicide attacks that killed 32 and injured hundreds, for which ISIS claimed responsibility, said that the situation was becoming "intolerable."
“We are taken hostage, there are threats to boycott the trial, while the people we defend have been waiting for years for it to start,” she said.
The security measures include cameras in defendants' toilets in court and strip searches before and after their transfer from their prison cell in the nearby city of Haren, to the court, in Nato’s former headquarters north of Brussels.
Defendants' lawyers on December 16 subpoenaed the Court of First Instance, requesting the Belgian state relax security measures. They will make their case on Friday and the court’s president is not expected to give an answer until next week.
Lawyer Laura Pinilla, who represents Abrini, said he would not answer questions until the issue of transfers was settled.
She told reporters it was “false” to accuse defendants of “trying to instrumentalise” the trial.
“The defence has done everything to keep this debate outside of the courtroom and was clear about the transfer problems since the first day,” she said.
Prosecutors say Abrini fled Brussels Airport in March 2016 without detonating his suitcase of explosives, unlike two of his accomplices who accompanied him to the airport.
Ms Pinilla said lawyers would discuss their next step in the event that Belgium does not relax security measures.
Lawyers of Asufi, Krayem and Ayari also said their clients would wait for a response from the civil court before deciding whether they would answer interrogations in the criminal court over the Brussels bombing.
The position of defendant Salah Abdeslam remained unclear.
After walking out last week in solidarity with other defendants complaining about security measures, Abdeslam said he had a cold and could not leave his cell.
His lawyer Delphine Pachi told The National she did not want to comment on whether he would be interrogated.
Belgian prosecutors allege that Abdeslam’s arrest in Brussels, four days before the bombings took place, impelled his accomplices to launch their attacks.
Only four defendants confirmed they would take part in cross-examination. Bilal El Makhoukhi and Herve Bayingana Muhirwa are currently detained. Brothers Smail and Ibrahim Farisi are free.
None of the four were defendants in the Paris trial.
The Belgian Justice Ministry has already told lawyers in a letter that the government is unlikely to change transfer security measures, which are not “unique to this trial”.
This argument was picked up by another victims’ lawyer, Guillaume Lys, who pointed out that the Brussels bombing trial was not the first terrorist trial with strict security measures during detainees’ transfer.
“It looks to me like some are trying to make a link between answers to questions from victims to these transfer conditions,” he said.
Previous terrorism cases in Belgium include a two-day trial in February 2018 over a shooting in a Brussels apartment in March 2016, three days before the suicide attacks, when Belgian police tried to arrest Abdeslam and Ayari.
Both men, who managed to flee, were sentenced to 20 years in prison for the shooting, during which one of their accomplices died and several Belgian police officers were wounded.
Abdeslam and Ayari were also involved in the Paris bombings in November 2015, which killed 130 people. A Paris court in June sentenced both to life imprisonment.
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The biog
Name: Salem Alkarbi
Age: 32
Favourite Al Wasl player: Alexandre Oliveira
First started supporting Al Wasl: 7
Biggest rival: Al Nasr
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How Beautiful this world is!
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rob%20Marshall%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHalle%20Bailey%2C%20Jonah%20Hauer-King%2C%20Melissa%20McCarthy%2C%20Javier%20Bardem%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
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Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
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Smart words at Make Smart Cool
Make Smart Cool is not your usual festival. Dubbed “edutainment” by organisers Najahi Events, Make Smart Cool aims to inspire its youthful target audience through a mix of interactive presentation by social media influencers and a concert finale featuring Example with DJ Wire. Here are some of the speakers sharing their inspiration and experiences on the night.
Prince Ea
With his social media videos accumulating more half a billion views, the American motivational speaker is hot on the college circuit in the US, with talks that focus on the many ways to generate passion and motivation when it comes to learning.
Khalid Al Ameri
The Emirati columnist and presenter is much loved by local youth, with writings and presentations about education, entrepreneurship and family balance. His lectures on career and personal development are sought after by the education and business sector.
Ben Ouattara
Born to an Ivorian father and German mother, the Dubai-based fitness instructor and motivational speaker is all about conquering fears and insecurities. His talk focuses on the need to gain emotional and physical fitness when facing life’s challenges. As well managing his film production company, Ouattara is one of the official ambassadors of Dubai Expo2020.
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
