Kim Kardashian believes she is “dead” during an armed robbery in Paris

Kim Kardashian has sent emotional testimony to a Paris court, telling the judge that she believes she will die at the hands of a masked gunman, who stole millions of dollars of jewelry from her in 2016 in a luxury hotel suite.

The reality TV star and businesswoman – who was bound and held her head during ordeal, faced her attacker for the first time while giving evidence for the case.

Nine men and a woman are being tried for 10 million pounds (£7.55 million) in jewellery for armed burglary, including a diamond engagement ring by her ex-husband Kanye West.

Kardashian testified in a seat in front of the BBC and spoke in court for more than three hours on Tuesday.

Her evidence was sometimes interrupted by the apology of the two defendants.

A defendant, 71-year-old Aomar Ait Khedache, who sat in court, expressed regret and turned to him and said she forgave him.

She mentioned her activism in the United States to improve the justice system and dream of becoming a lawyer and thanked Khedache for her apology letter.

“I'm grateful, I forgive you,” she said to him while crying.

“But that didn’t change emotions, feelings and trauma, and my life.”

“I just want to thank everyone, especially the French authorities, for allowing me to testify today and tell my truth,” the TV star told the court on Tuesday.

The criminal trial committed nine years ago has been expected and followed closely.

Kardashian wore a tailor-made black suit and diamond jewelry, and her mother, Kris Jenner, several friends and a group of bodyguards were supported in court.

She sometimes staggers in the first hour of testimony, restless with her long nails, and stops when she is emotionally overwhelmed and fights back tears. However, the longer she continued to move forward, the more she seemed to be able to relax and gather strength, and her voice became more and more stable.

She also expressed condolences to one of the defendants, who apologized to her during the testimony.

The meeting in court Tuesday was the first time Kardashian turned her narrative about the armed burglary and the level of fear during and after the attack to the criminal court.

She tells the story of her appearance in the town of Paris Fashion Week on October 2 and retires around 03:00 when two masked gunmen in police costumes suddenly enter her room with them dragging the tied and stuffed hotel receptionist.

She managed to call the bodyguard and one of the men took the phone off her. She said they snatched her engagement ring, who had been lying on the bedside table and then “pick me out of the bed, grab me, and take me to the hallway” in search of more jewelry. ”

At the time, one of the men held her gun, “That was the first time I thought, should I come for this? But it wasn't an option, so I just stayed.” She added that she realized she should “do what they said” for her safety.

Kardashian said she was then thrown onto the bed and her hands were tied with zippers. At this point, she told the Concierge: “Please convert to them, I have a baby and I have to take it home.”

Then one of them pulled her towards him, and he opened her robe and she wore nothing underneath.

She told the court she was worried she would be raped, saying she said she was mentally prepared.

But then her legs were tied together and the gun was pointed at her. “I'm sure that's when they're going to shoot me,” she said at the time.

She thought of her family at the time and provided them with “prayers” that they did not have to go through her killing.

She expressed fear for her sister Kourtney and had to walk into the hotel room and found out that “I would be shot in the bed and she would see it and have that memory forever.”

When Judge David de Pas asked her if she was going to die, she replied in a small voice: “I definitely think I'll die.”

Kardashian said she looked into the man's eyes and she tied her up, trying to remember the details – he told her that if she kept it quiet, she would be fine.

After the robbers picked up the jewelry, they rushed out of the suite and left Kardashian in the bathroom. She said, then she managed to release her hands from the cable tie and jumped down the stairs to the first floor of the suite, where her stylist and friend Simone Harouche helped release the other tie.

The two then ran to the balcony, seeking help while hiding in the bushes. Kardashian said she was worried that the people would return and she didn't trust them when the Paris police showed up because the robbers were also wearing police uniforms.

In the testimony that was packed with courts, Kardashian also answered several questions from the judge, namely why her safety did not exist at the time.

Her usual team was sent to accompany her sister Kourtney to the club, while Kim stayed there.

She told the court that she did not have a bodyguard with her because until the robbery, she and her family did not believe they needed this level of safety. She said she used to feel safe on the streets of Paris alone, and they were happy with the security team they stayed in another hotel.

She said that after Paris, “everything changed”, noting that she now hired up to six people to guard her house at night and that she began to get “phobia of going out” because she thought people would “see me out and know my home was empty.”

“I couldn't even sleep at night if I knew there weren't multiple security guards,” she said, noting her concerns about parody attacks, and her Los Angeles home was robbed even before the family returned from their trip to Paris.

Kardashian's testimony on Tuesday was provided by two defendants in court to apologize repeatedly, and they pleaded guilty to the charge. Although she accepted Khedache's apology, she did not acknowledge the existence of other defendants who are filing the lawsuit.

She ignores her former driver, Gary Madar, who is accused of opening the burglary ring to her whereabouts. He denied the charges.

She also expressed anger at one of the accused, Yunice Abbas, who published a memoir in 2021 titled “I lifted Kim Kardashian.”

Kardashian told the court Tuesday that she “was really shocked when I saw a book”.

“Not only did he do that, but now (he) makes money from that – my jewelry, my memory, my watch that passed away from my father gave me the time of high school.

She also told the court that she wanted to close the lawsuit from the trial.

“I want to be part of today because in this case I’m a victim and it’s the first time I can really hear everyone and follow.”

“That's what I'm going to do. I want to be a lawyer and I do believe that everyone has the opportunity to speak their truth, it's my closure and opportunity, and after all I've gone through it, I'll rest it.”

Kardashian added that her job is to “tell me the truth and hope no one else will happen.”

“It's horrible, life-changing, and I don't want anyone to be afraid of anyone – think you might be killed or raped – I don't want it in my biggest enemy.”