Paris - Strong safety and crowd control measures were made in the central Paris court on Tuesday The trial of armed robbery in 2016 A masked gang made a fortune with $10 million worth of jewelry when visiting the French capital. The court opened early, allowing journalists and the public to visit before Kardashian's afternoon appearance.
About 400 journalists applied to the trial, but there are only 40 places assigned to the media in the court. A side room was set up for another 200 reporters to watch the live transmission inside the courtroom. The hearing will not be played publicly, as France rarely allows cameras in court.
Kardashian's lawyer Say she is determined to testify She was allegedly kidnapped and robbed herself while attending Fashion Week in Paris. Ten people - nine and one woman - face charges including robbery and kidnapping of American media figures and her concierge who lived at her residence on the evening of October 2, 2016.
Before the celebrity picks up the stands themselves, her long-time friend-turned-statistic person, Simone Harouche, told the court Tuesday that she heard Kardashian beg for her life in the attack of their shared hotel suite.
"'I have babies, I need life!" she kept saying, "I need life." "I'm afraid she's raped or assaulted. I think the worst is."
Prosecutors told the court that when the gang arrived at the luxury suite hotel in police dress, dressed in police, only known as "addressless" by Kardashian, they asked for concierge at the gun to direct them to "rapper's wife," mentioned to her then-husband, Kanye West. The couple Settlement and Divorce In 2022.
Kardashian said once they entered the apartment, the masked thief pointed the gun at her and tied his wrists and ankles with zipper tie and tape, always asking in a thick French accent: "Ring, ring," which apparently refers to the $4 million diamond ring given to her by the West.
In a reality TV show with interviews and family, Kardashian described feeling fearful during the invasion thinking she would be raped and killed.
“They dragged me to the hallway above the stairs, just like during the day,” she said on the show.
Robbers, some of whom escaped on bicycles, were called "Grandpa Robbers" because most of the suspects were in their 60s when they were robbed.
When they fled, they left behind the diamond and platinum cross and were discovered by local residents the next morning. The rest of the tugs have not been recycled.
The DNA of two defendants was found at the scene and they admitted to participating in the robbery. Aomar Ait Khedache, 69, is accused of planning a robbery. He was reportedly known as "Old Omar", and he told investigators that he didn't know who Kardashian was, but heard from a waiter friend the amazing jewelry she wore while dining out in Paris.
Khedache reportedly wrote to Kardashian in 2017, apologizing while he was in custody. Her lawyer said he wrote after hearing how painful it was to hear about her experience. He did not apologize in court.
Yunis Abbas, 71, admitted that he was the surveillance of the gang. On April 29, he expressed "complete regret" during the robbery. He said later he understood: “When you steal a woman’s wallet, it can be traumatized”.
A police officer who testified against the prosecution told the court Kardashian was "traumatized" immediately after the robbery.
Some defendants' lawyers expressed concern because the trial opened last month and Kardashian's reputation would disperse the key points of the case.
Chloe Arnoux, who represents Khedache, told reporters: "In fact, he was worried that he would not treat his case like no such celebrity was involved."
Kardashian's attorney Michael Rhodes said in April that reality TV stars and entrepreneurs "expressed great appreciation and admiration for the French judicial system" and "and "hopefully both trials can be tried in an orderly manner under French law and respect all cases. ”