Kim Kardashian Robbery Trial: Ten Years Requested Against Main Suspect Alleged to Have Led the Operation

Ten men stand trial in Paris for the high-profile 2016 robbery of Kim Kardashian. Ten-year prison sentences have been requested for three of them, including Aomar Aït Khedache, who is considered the alleged mastermind.

A Central Defendant, But Contested

On Wednesday, May 21, the public prosecutor requested a ten-year prison sentence for Aomar Aït Khedache, 69, accused of orchestrating the robbery against Kim Kardashian in autumn 2016, in a Paris hotel room during Fashion Week. This repeat offender, described as a “seasoned criminal,” is one of only two defendants to admit involvement but denies being the ringleader.

According to the prosecution, he was the one who “gave the orders,” “recruited members of the group,” and resold the loot—estimated at €9 million—in Belgium. Wiretaps support this claim. Despite his advanced age, deteriorating health, deafness, and near muteness, the prosecutor emphasized the need for him to “pay for his crimes,” while acknowledging the “absence of risk of recidivism.”

The defendant, free during the trial, attended the hearing leaning on his cane, reading the proceedings live on his computer thanks to two stenographers. He was quickly identified by DNA found at the scene but tried to shift blame onto a mysterious “X or Ben,” a figure not found anywhere in the case file, according to the magistrate.

The “Old Gangsters” on Trial

Ten men face charges, nicknamed the “old gangsters” due to their advanced average age. They stand accused of armed robbery, kidnapping, and complicity, facing up to 30 years in prison or life sentences for some repeat offenders.

Among them, Yunice Abbas, 68, author of the book I Kidnapped Kim Kardashian, is the other defendant admitting to the facts. A ten-year sentence was requested against him as well. “As he himself wrote, there comes a time to take responsibility for one’s actions,” the prosecutor stressed.

The same sentence was sought against Didier Dubreucq, aka “Blue Eyes,” suspected of directly robbing the star in her room. Despite consideration of his cancer diagnosis, the prosecution condemned his “total denial” and “complete lack of remorse.”

During her testimony before the court on May 13, Kim Kardashian gave a harrowing account of that night: “I was sure they were going to shoot me, that it was over. I was going to be raped. I was certain I was going to die that day.” Among the stolen items was her engagement ring, valued at four million dollars, which has never been recovered.