US reality TV personality Kim Kardashian is set to testify in person at an upcoming French trial concerning the armed robbery of her jewelry in Paris in 2016, as confirmed by her US attorney Michael Rhodes.
A French court is scheduled to start proceedings on 28 April, with six individuals facing trial for the gem heist that occurred in October 2016. During this incident, masked assailants left Ms. Kardashian’s lavish Paris apartment with millions of dollars worth of valuables, including a diamond ring given to her by her then-husband, rapper Kanye West.
The trial is expected to continue until 23 May, with Ms. Kardashian making her appearance on 13 May, according to a preliminary schedule.
Dubbed the largest French robbery targeting an individual in two decades, Ms. Kardashian was stripped of jewelry valued at approximately six million euros while she was at a luxury lodging during Paris Fashion Week.
Two investigating magistrates have mandated that the suspects face a jury trial—typically reserved in France for the most severe offenses—on charges including armed robbery, kidnapping, and belonging to a criminal organization.
Several men gained entry to the hotel where Ms. Kardashian was staying.
On the night of 2-3 October 2016, a group of men, some pretending to be police officers, infiltrated the hotel where Ms. Kardashian was located.
Two of the intruders pressed guns to her head, and one, as Ms. Kardashian recounted to investigators, spoke to her “with a very strong French accent” in English, demanding the ring she was wearing.
They subsequently bound her, gagged her, and moved her into the bathroom.
Meanwhile, three accomplices stood guard at the reception area, while one waited in a getaway vehicle.
In addition to the ring, which was set with an 18.88-carat near-flawless diamond, the group made off with several other pieces of gold and diamond jewelry.
One of the alleged robbers, Yunice Abbas, fled the scene on a bicycle but dropped a diamond-studded cross worth 30,000 euros, which a passerby discovered a few hours later.
While the thieves abandoned a few more items during their escape, the majority of the stolen goods have yet to be recovered, with authorities believing they were sold in Belgium.
