By Ten suspects went on trial in Paris on Monday over the 2016 armed robbery of US reality star Kim Kardashian, which saw nearly $10 million worth of jewellery stolen in one of France’s most notorious heists.
Kardashian, now 44, is expected to testify on May 13 in what is set to be a highly anticipated court appearance. She fled Paris traumatised just hours after the robbery on the night of October 2–3, 2016.
The accused, many in their 60s and 70s with criminal pasts and colourful nicknames like “Old Omar” and “Blue Eyes,” evoke the old-school French underworld of 1960s film noir.
During Paris Fashion Week, Kardashian was alone at the exclusive hotel when two armed, masked men stormed her room around 3:00 a.m., threatening her with a gun to the head and tying her up. Investigators believe her frequent social media posts flaunting her wealth and location helped the gang plan the attack.
The robbers specifically demanded her $4 million diamond engagement ring from then-husband Kanye West—an item Kardashian had recently showcased online.
The stolen haul, the largest private theft in France in two decades, has never been recovered.
The trial will also examine how the robbers obtained key details about Kardashian’s whereabouts and the timing of her bodyguard’s absence as he accompanied her sister, Kourtney, to a nightclub.
Proceedings opened at 12:30 GMT.
