Suspect in Kim Kardashian's 2016 Jewel Heist Plans to Take Responsibility and Apologize at Paris Trial

The trial of Yunice Abbas, one of the suspects involved in the 2016 armed robbery of Kim Kardashian, begins on April 28 in Paris. Abbas has publicly acknowledged his role in the heist and plans to apologize in court. He is among 10 suspects facing charges, including armed robbery and kidnapping.

"I will apologize," Abbas told The Associated Press. "I mean it sincerely." He is set to testify during the trial, which is scheduled to run until May 23. Kim Kardashian is expected to testify in person as well, recalling the terrifying experience when robbers held her at gunpoint and stole millions of dollars worth of jewelry during Paris Fashion Week.

Yunice Abbas, arrested in January 2017, acted as a lookout during the robbery. He ensured the escape route was clear from the ground floor, but was unarmed and did not personally threaten Kardashian, as per Billboard. However, he acknowledges his shared responsibility in the crime. Abbas was imprisoned for 21 months and released under judicial supervision.

Kardashian, in her testimony to investigators, described the harrowing moments when two men broke into her apartment, pointed a gun at her, and demanded her engagement ring worth millions of dollars.

The robbers tied her up with plastic ties and tape while searching for jewels. "I thought I was going to get raped," Kardashian said in a tearful 2020 appearance on David Letterman's Netflix show. "I'm like, 'What is happening? Are we gonna die?'"

The jewelry stolen in the heist was estimated to be worth USD 6 million. Abbas later revealed that he was unaware of Kardashian's identity at the time of the robbery. "I was told about a famous person, a rapper's wife. That's all the information I had," he stated. "Until the next morning, when I heard on TV about the influencer. That's when I understood who she was."

Following the robbery, Abbas fled the scene on a bicycle, carrying a bag of stolen jewelry. As he rode away, the bag tangled in his bicycle's front wheel, causing him to fall and spill the jewels. A passerby later found a diamond-encrusted cross from the robbery and handed it to the police. It remains the only item recovered from the crime.

While most of the suspects have denied involvement, Abbas and another man whose DNA was found at the scene have acknowledged their roles. Abbas, who co-authored a book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian, said he wanted to share his version of the events after feeling that other accounts were sensationalized.

Abbas' earnings from the book have been frozen pending the outcome of the trial. Kardashian's lawyer, Michael Rhodes, has stated that she wants the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties involved.

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