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Abdeslam, a
French citizen, was arrested in Brussels on March 18 after a
four-month manhunt in the wake of the Nov. 13 shooting and
suicide bombing rampage by Islamic State militants that killed
130 people in Paris.
His lawyer, Sven Mary, told reporters in Brussels that he hoped
Abdeslam's return to Paris could happen "as soon as possible ...
Regarding going to France, I think it's really a question of
weeks".
Paris prosecutor Francois Molins had said last week that at
worst it could take three months for Abdeslam to be handed over
to France after the suspect said he would oppose extradition.
Investigations into suicide bombings in Brussels on Tuesday -
also claimed by Islamic State and in which at least 31 people
died - have pointed in Abdeslam's direction as well, indicating
that the same jihadist network was involved in both the Paris
and Brussels attacks, police said.
Mary said Abdeslam was due in court in Brussels on March 31 to
face a European arrest warrant issued by France. This warrant is
a procedure reserved for European Union member states that
speeds up the traditional extradition process by preventing
government authorities from blocking any transfer.
Asked whether Abdeslam, French-born though raised in Brussels,
was still helping police investigators, Mary declined to
comment, citing client confidentiality.
Mary had said on Monday that Abdeslam was collaborating and
communicating, and that he was "worth his weight in gold" for
the investigation.
As the only suspected participant or planner of the Paris
attacks in police custody, Abdeslam would be a possible
significant source of information on others involved in support
networks, financing and links with Islamic State in Syria,
investigators have said.
(Reporting by James Regan; Editing by Andrew Callus and Mark
Heinrich)
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