Lawyers for Paris bomb suspect quit over his silence

Solitary detention ‘ damaged’ Abdeslam, who won’t defend himself, lawyer says

“He is isolating and radicalizing himself ... taking his video surveillance very badly.” Frank Berton

The lawyers for Paris bombing suspect Salah Abdeslam said they will no longer represent their client because he has refused to talk while being held in solitary confinement under 24- hour surveillance.

Frank Berton, a high- profile French criminal lawyer representing Abdeslam, said Wednesday that his client has been psychologically damaged by his strict detention at Fleury- Merogis prison, the Associated Press reported.

Abdeslam, 27, is accused of taking part in the terrorist attacks in Paris last November that killed 130 people. He was arrested in Brussels in March and extradited to France, indicating at the time that he would cooperate with French authorities regarding his role in the killings.

The Paris prosecutor said Abdeslam abandoned his suicide vest and fled Paris for Brussels after the attack on the Bataclan concert hall, cafes and the national stadium.

The other attackers died in suicide bombings or were killed by police.

“I’ve been convinced that he is isolating and radicalizing himself. He is taking his video surveillance very badly,” Berton said.

He said it is impossible to defend someone who refuses to cooperate, and Abdeslam “has decided not to defend himself.”

Berton and Abdeslam’s Belgian lawyer, Sven Mary, told BFM- TV Tuesday that their client agreed with their decision to withdraw.

Calling the situation a “huge mess,” Berton said the use of strict prison measures was not about security but “is a consequence of a political decision.”

Mary said his client’s silence prevents authorities from learning the truth about last year’s attacks.

BELGIAN FEDERAL POLICE Salah Abdeslam has refused to talk during his confinement, leading his lawyers to quit his case.