Paris suspect Abdeslam 'wants to cooperate' with French authorities

Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam wants to cooperate with French authorities, his lawyer said Thursday, confirming that his client wanted to be extradited from Belgium to France.

A prosecutor was set to travel to the prison in the city of Bruges where Abdeslam is being held to discuss his extradition under a European arrest warrant.

"He wants to cooperate with the French authorities," lawyer Cedric Moisse said.

Abdeslam has not spoken to investigators since Brussels was hit last week by attacks at the airport and a metro station that were claimed by the Islamic State group.

He has links to several of those involved in the suicide bombings that killed 32 people.
Known as Europe's most wanted man, the 26-year-old was captured on March 18 in Brussels after spending four months on the run following the November suicide bombings and gun attacks in Paris which left 130 people dead.

He is believed to be the last survivor from the cell of 10 men who carried out the massacre.

The Belgian-born French citizen, who was caught unarmed after being shot in the leg in a dramatic police raid in Brussels, told interrogators he had intended to blow himself up at the Stade de France stadium in Paris but had backed out at the last minute.

Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said that Abdeslam had also been planning to target Brussels.

Another of his lawyers, Sven Mary, said last week that Abdeslam did not have prior knowledge of the March 22 attacks in the Belgian capital.

Abdeslam has been linked to at least two of the bombers. Khalid El Bakraoui, who blew himself up at the metro, rented a flat in Brussels where Abdeslam's fingerprints were found following a raid.

The second airport bomber, Najim Laachraoui, once drove to Hungary with Abdeslam.
Source: AFP