Kim Kardashian to Testify in 2016 Paris Robbery Trial

Photo: AFP

Kim Kardashian, the famous reality TV star, is set to testify in court on Tuesday afternoon in the trial of a group of criminals accused of robbing her at gunpoint in her Paris hotel room in 2016. During the robbery, the gang took millions of dollars worth of jewelry, including a $4 million engagement ring that had been given to her by her then-husband, rapper Kanye West.

The suspects are accused of tying up Kardashian with zip ties and duct tape before stealing her valuable items. According to investigators, the gang forced their way into her hotel room and threatened her with guns. Kim was left terrified during the ordeal and feared that she could be raped.

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Hours before Kardashian's testimony on Tuesday, many journalists were seen waiting outside the courthouse, eager to report on the trial. In 2020, Kim shared the story of the robbery in an emotional interview with David Letterman. She recalled the terrifying moments when the thieves kept asking her about the ring. “They kept on saying ‘the ring, the ring’,” Kim said, fighting back tears as she remembered how scared she was. She also spoke about how she feared for her life that night. “I kept looking at the concierge,” she said, referring to the hotel worker who was forced to guide the gang to her room. “I was like, ‘Are we gonna die? Just tell them I have children, I have babies … I have to get home.’”

Yunice Abbas, a 71-year-old member of the gang, is one of the ten suspects standing trial. Many of the suspects are elderly, in their late 60s or 70s, and the group has been given the nickname "the grandpa gang." Abbas has admitted to being involved in the robbery and even wrote a book about his actions. He has also apologized for what he did and expressed regret in interviews. However, despite admitting to his role, Abbas is still standing trial because there is no way to plead guilty in such cases.

Abbas has also mentioned in the past that he and the other robbers didn’t know who Kim Kardashian was at the time. He said their target was not Kardashian herself but her valuable diamond ring. "It’s not her, it’s her diamond we targeted," he told French TV years ago.

A lawyer representing another suspect, Aomar Ait Khedache, also known as "Omar the Old," has said he hopes that the attention Kim's global fame brings to the trial won’t affect how the case is judged. Khedache, who is 68 years old, is accused of being the leader of the gang, but he denies it.

“This trial is getting international attention because of who the victim is,” said Frank Berton, Khedache’s lawyer. “But what we hope is that it won’t change anything in the way the facts are judged.”