Verdict due in Kardashian Paris robbery trial

Al Arabiya

23-05-2025

A French court is expected to deliver its verdict on Friday in the trial of 10 people accused of robbing reality TV star Kim Kardashian of approximately $10 million worth of jewellery in Paris.
Nine men and one woman have been on trial since April, with prosecutors seeking sentences of up to 10 years for the four men accused of carrying out the robbery.
On the night of October 2–3, 2016, Kardashian, then 35, was robbed while staying at an exclusive hotel in central Paris. She was held at gunpoint, tied up, and had her mouth taped. Most of the stolen items were never recovered, including a diamond ring given to her by then-husband, rapper Kanye West. The ring alone was valued at €3.5 million ($3.9 million).
The robbery was the biggest against a private individual in France in two decades.
Most of the accused are now in their 60s and 70s, and French media have dubbed them the 'Grandpa robbers.' They are known by underworld nicknames such as 'Old Omar' and 'Blue Eyes,' evoking the style of French film noir gangsters from the 1960s and '70s.
The American star testified at the trial last week, telling the court she feared she would be raped and killed by the masked men.
'I thought I was going to die,' Kardashian said, appearing in court with a jewelled necklace.
The case has drawn intense media attention, with crowds gathering outside the courthouse on Paris's historic Île de la Cité hoping to catch a glimpse of the celebrity.
On Wednesday, prosecutors requested 10-year prison sentences for the four men accused of carrying out the robbery, including its alleged mastermind, Aomar Ait Khedache.
Khedache, 69, is completely deaf and nearly mute. He read the sentencing demands from a screen in court. Known as 'Old Omar,' he has admitted to tying up Kardashian but denies orchestrating the crime.
In court, Kardashian said she forgave him after hearing a letter of apology.
'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 said.
Another defendant, Yunice Abbas, wrote a book about the heist titled I Kidnapped Kim Kardashian. In it, he recounted how his bag became caught in the wheel of his bicycle during the escape, causing him to fall and scramble to retrieve the loot.
Abbas, who now has Parkinson's disease, told the court he 'totally regretted' his involvement in the theft, calling it 'one job too many' that 'opened his eyes' to his wrongdoing.
On Thursday, defence lawyers urged the court to show leniency toward the ageing defendants. Khedache's lawyer argued, 'At that age, a prison sentence is life imprisonment.'
Kardashian said the robbery profoundly affected her sense of security.
'It changed the way that I felt safe at home,' she said, adding that she now employs up to six security guards.
The US celebrity, often described as 'famous for being famous,' rose to prominence in the early 2000s through reality television before launching fashion brands and appearing in films.