Paris attacks: Captured Salah Abdeslam to take legal action over breach of confidentiality

Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam is planning to take legal action against a French prosecutor, his lawyer Sven Mary has said. Abdeslam is expected to sue Paris prosecutor Francois Molins over his statement made on 19 March.

Prosecutor Molins revealed during a press conference that Abdeslam admitted to planning to blow himself up during the Paris attacks on 13 November, but had changed his mind at the last minute. Abdeslam's Belgian lawyer Sven Mary said that revealing this information had breached the confidentiality of the investigation.

Speaking to Belgian public broadcaster RTBF, Mary said: "This is an error that I cannot allow to pass. Reading this out at a press conference is a violation."

Abdeslam was captured alive on 18 March during an anti-terror police raid in the Molenbeek district of Brussels. He was shot in the leg during his arrest and was briefly admitted to hospital, after which he was brought before a federal judge for questioning.

Belgian authorities have charged the 26-year-old with terrorism offences. Abdeslam's lawyer confirmed that he was "cooperating" with the ongoing Belgian Federal Police investigation but that he would fight extradition to France.

Quoting Abdeslam's statement, prosecutor Molins said: "He wanted to blow himself up at the Stade de France and backed out." He said that information provided by Abdeslam at this stage should be treated with caution, while Interpol advised the UK and other member states to be extra vigilant at border controls as Islamist terrorists attempt to leave Europe following Abdeslam's arrest.

The Paris bombings and shootings, orchestrated by the Islamic State (Isis), left 130 people dead and dozens injured. France has now sent more troops to its borders in the aftermath of Abdeslam's arrest, adding to the 5,000 police that were mobilised since the attacks.