Kim grateful for robbers' conviction
Kardashian said she looks forward to putting the episode behind her. Photo: File
A French court on Friday convicted a gang of robbers who stole $10 million in jewellery from reality TV star Kim Kardashian in a Paris hotel in 2016, although they will not return to jail and the verdicts were more lenient than requested by the prosecution, reported AFP.
Describing the heist as "the most terrifying experience of my life", Kardashian swiftly expressed her gratitude to the French authorities for pursuing "justice" in the case.
Nine men and one woman have been on trial since April and prosecutors sought the toughest jail terms – 10 years – for the four men accused of carrying out the robbery.
Aomar Ait Khedache, 69, the ringleader, was handed the heaviest sentence of three years in prison plus five years suspended, but due to time served in jail will not return to detention, like all the others convicted.
Two other suspects accused of handing information about the American superstar's whereabouts were acquitted. All the sentences were substantially lower than the terms demanded by the prosecution.
Kardashian, then 35, was robbed while staying at an exclusive hotel in the French capital on the night of October 2-3, 2016.
She was threatened with a gun to the head and tied up, with her mouth taped.
Kardashian said after the verdict that she was "deeply grateful to the French authorities for pursuing justice".
"The crime was the most terrifying experience of my life, leaving a lasting impact on me and my family," she said in a statement sent by her lawyers.
"While I'll never forget what happened, I believe in the power of growth and accountability and pray for healing for all," she added.
'I am very sorry'
After the hearing adjourned, the convicted men embraced their loved ones in relief and slowly left the courtroom, taking with them the bags and suitcases they had prepared in case of imprisonment.
"The sentences are quite lenient; I understand that you understand that you have caused harm," presiding judge David De Pas told them as he read out the verdicts.
He also said "the state of health of the main protagonists ethically prohibits incarcerating anyone. It would have been unjust to take you to prison this evening."
Aomar Ait Khedache had begged to be forgiven in his final statement ahead of sentencing.
Khedache is now virtually mute and completely deaf, and his statement was read out by his lawyer.
"I ask for forgiveness. I can't find the words. I am very sorry," he wrote, asking for "a thousand pardons" from his son Harminy, who was convicted for acting as a driver on the night of the heist.
Two other men convicted of carrying out the robbery on the night, Yunice Abbas, 71, and Didier Dubreucq, 69, were sentenced to seven years jail including five suspended. Dubreucq was absent as he is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer.
The fourth member of the robbery gang, Marc-Alexandre Boyer, at 35 the only youngster, was given the same sentence.
Kardashian's lawyers said in a statement that the star "looks forward to putting this tragic episode behind her, as she continues working to improve the criminal justice system on behalf of victims, the innocent, and the incarcerated seeking to redeem themselves".
'Grandpa robbers'
Most of the stolen valuables were never recovered, including a diamond ring given to Kardashian by her then-husband, rapper Kanye West. The ring alone was valued at 3.5 million euros ($3.9 million). The robbery was the biggest against a private individual in France in 20 years. Most of the accused are now in their 60s and 70s and have been dubbed the "Grandpa robbers" by French media.
But making the sentencing demands earlier this week, the prosecutor urged the judges and jury to remember that Kardashian was targeted by a violent attack and not to be taken in by the "wrinkles" of the defendants.
The American star testified at the trial, wearing a diamond necklace valued at $3 million, according to its New York-based creator Samer Halimeh.
During the trial, Kardashian told the court she forgave Khedache after hearing a letter of apology from him.
"I forgive you for what has taken place but it does not change the emotion, the feelings, the trauma and the way my life changed," she told Khedache, adding that she believed in a "second chance".
Kardashian, sometimes described as "famous for being famous", became well known in the early 2000s through TV reality shows, before launching fashion brands and appearing in films.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
Afghan women UN staff targeted with threats, told to ‘stay home' in Kabul
Afghan women working for the United Nations in Kabul have been threatened by unidentified men because of their jobs, the organisation and several women told AFP on Thursday. PHOTO: AFP Listen to article Afghan women working for the United Nations in Kabul have been threatened by unidentified men because of their jobs, the organisation and several women told AFP on Thursday. Multiple women working for various UN agencies told AFP on condition of anonymity they had been threatened on the street and over the phone by men warning them to 'stay home'. UN staffer Huda — not her real name — said that for weeks she has been bombarded with messages abusing her for 'working with foreigners'. 'The messages keep coming and they are always harassing us … saying, 'Don't let me see you again, or else',' the young woman told AFP. She said her office had advised her to work from home until further notice. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) confirmed that UN staff had been threatened. 'Several United Nations female national staff members in the Afghan capital Kabul have been subjected to threats by unidentified individuals related to their work with the UN,' it said in a statement. Considering the threats 'extremely serious', the UN has taken 'interim' measures 'to ensure the safety and security of staff members', it added. The Taliban government, accused by the UN of imposing a 'gender apartheid' against women since returning to power in 2021, has denied any involvement. Interior ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said such threats were a 'crime' and that police would take action. UNAMA said the authorities had opened an investigation. Since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban authorities have severely restricted Afghan women from working and it is the only country in the world where women are banned from education beyond primary school. The government in 2022 banned women from working for domestic and international NGOs, which was extended to include the UN's offices in the country the following year. The policy has some exceptions, including for women working in healthcare and education, and has not been consistently enforced. The UN has previously called the policy 'deeply discriminatory'. Selsela, in her 30s, said that while returning from the office last week, she was approached by unknown men who told her she should be 'ashamed' and that she must 'stay home'. 'They said, 'We told you nicely this time, but next time you'll have another thing coming',' she told AFP. 'I was very scared,' she said, explaining how she struggles to work efficiently from home in a country where electricity and internet are unreliable. 'The situation for women is getting worse every day.' Another woman, Rahila, said she and two other women colleagues were stopped by men while travelling home in a UN vehicle and told not to go to the office anymore. 'They said, 'Don't you know that you are not allowed?',' Rahila said, adding that she has also received threatening messages from unknown numbers. 'I am very worried, I need my job and my salary,' she said. Three-quarters of Afghanistan's population of some 45 million people struggle to meet their daily needs, according to the UN, with the country facing one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
Business Recorder
a day ago
- Business Recorder
Gaza rescuers say at least 10 killed in Israel strikes
GAZA CITY: Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli strikes killed at least 10 people in the battered Palestinian territory on Thursday as the military keeps up an intensified offensive. 'Ten martyrs so far resulting from Israeli strikes since dawn,' agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP, adding that they had targeted an area where displaced civilians were sheltering in the southern city of Khan Yunis and houses in Gaza City and the central town of Deir el-Balah. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. Israel has stepped up its offensive in what it says is a bid to defeat Hamas, whose October 7, 2023 attack sparked the war. Rescuers say Israeli fire kills at least 27 near Gaza aid point Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. According to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, at least 4,335 people have been killed since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 54,607, mostly civilians.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
China hits back at Marco Rubio's remarks on Tiananmen Square crackdown
The Chinese flag at Tiananmen Square flies at half-mast in memory of late former Chinese premier Li Keqiang, in Beijing, China on November 2, 2023. PHOTO: REUTERS Listen to article Beijing hit back on Wednesday at US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for saying the world will 'never forget' the deadly Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989, describing his remarks as an 'attack' on China. Troops and tanks forcibly cleared peaceful protesters from Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989, after weeks-long demonstrations demanding greater political freedoms. The exact toll is unknown, but hundreds died, with some estimates exceeding 1,000. China's communist rulers have since sought to erase any public mention of the crackdown, with censors scrubbing all online references. Police were seen by AFP on Wednesday at the entrance to Wan'an Cemetery, a site in west Beijing where victims of the crackdown are known to be buried. Officers were also posted at several intersections leading into Tiananmen Square. On Wednesday evening, a line of buses and a cherry picker partially blocked screens at the German and Canadian embassies showing images of candles, a symbol commonly used to pay tribute to Tiananmen victims. 'Never forget' Rubio said in a statement that the 'world will never forget' what happened on June 4, even as Beijing 'actively tries to censor the facts'. 'Today we commemorate the bravery of the Chinese people who were killed as they tried to exercise their fundamental freedoms, as well as those who continue to suffer persecution as they seek accountability and justice for the events of June 4, 1989,' Rubio said. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian hit back during a briefing in the capital, saying Beijing had 'lodged a solemn protest' over the American politician's comments, which 'maliciously distort historical facts … and seriously interfere in China's internal affairs'. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te echoed Rubio's remarks, vowing to preserve the memory of victims of the bloody crackdown. 'Authoritarian governments often choose to be silent and forget history; democratic societies choose to preserve the truth and refuse to forget those who have contributed to the ideal of human rights and their dreams,' Lai said on Facebook. China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to seize the democratically run island by force. 'Reaffirm our commitment' In Hong Kong, jailed activist Chow Hang-tung began a 36-hour hunger strike on Wednesday, a dogged attempt to individually commemorate the anniversary in a city that once hosted huge public remembrances. The former lawyer used to help organise an annual vigil that drew tens of thousands to the city's Victoria Park. Hong Kong had been the only place under Chinese rule where commemoration of the crackdown was tolerated. Slogans at the candlelight vigil sometimes called for democracy in China and an end to one-party rule. But after huge and sometimes violent protests roiled the city in 2019, Beijing brought in a wide-ranging national security law that has quashed political dissent. The public memorial has effectively been banned and Chow imprisoned, facing a potential life sentence on subversion charges. On Wednesday, AFP journalists saw at least seven people taken away by police around Victoria Park, including two schoolgirls holding white flowers — which often signify mourning in Chinese culture — and a man standing in silent tribute. Some people were stopped and searched by police. 'It's a shame that there's no more [vigils] … In fact, no one will ever forget [the vigils],' a man named Yuen, 49, who did not give his first name, told AFP. Over the last few years, activists have been detained for 'offences in connection with seditious intention' around the anniversary. In a social media post, Chow said her hunger strike would 'commemorate this day and reaffirm our commitment' and urged authorities to apologise over her 'wrongful' imprisonment. 'History tells us that [the apology] will likely take a very long time — the Tiananmen Mothers have been waiting for 36 years and still have not received an apology,' she said, referring to an activist group made up of families of victims of the crackdown. A video featuring 87-year-old Zhang Xianling, whose 19-year-old son was killed in 1989, circulated online last week. China's authorities have never addressed the group's plea for dialogue around the issue — instead, they have used all means to monitor and wiretap members of the Tiananmen Mothers, Zhang said. 'The lights in Victoria Park may have been blown out by the gales, but the sparks of justice will glow in the hearts of every conscientious person,' she added. At a vigil on Wednesday in Taipei's Liberty Square, 20-year-old American student Lara Waldron told AFP: 'I feel like this June 4 is very close to me right now. 'As a college student, I'm of the age of many organisers and participants — people [who] lost their lives in Tiananmen. '
