Trial Over November 2015 Paris Terrorist Attacks Begins

PARIS — The trial of 20 men accused of involvement in the November 2015 attacks in Paris began on Wednesday, nearly six years after the coordinated and devastating assault that left over 100 dead and shook France to its core.

Salah Abdeslam, who prosecutors say is the sole surviving attacker, arrived at the courthouse on Wednesday under tight police escort, and when asked by the presiding judge to confirm his name, set a defiant tone.

“I abandoned all professions to become a fighter for the Islamic State,” said Mr. Abdeslam, wearing a black T-shirt and black face mask, when asked about his job.

All the other men on trial are accused of being accomplices, and will, along with Mr. Abdeslam, be tried by a panel of judges in a courtroom designed specifically for the monumental proceedings, with space for 550 people. Over 300 lawyers and nearly 1,800 plaintiffs will take part, and it is expected to last a record nine months.