Sven Mary
Sven Mary | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age Antwerp, Belgium |
| Occupation | Attorney |
| Known for | Defense of Salah Abdeslam, Eva Kaili |
Sven Mary (born November 1971) is a Belgian attorney recognized for his defense of prominent figures, including Salah Abdeslam and Greek Member of the European Parliament Eva Kaili, who faced allegations linked to the Qatar corruption scandal at the European Parliament.
Early life
Mary was born in Antwerp in November 1971, the son of Tony Mary, a businessman and former director of VRT. During his youth, he played football with Anderlecht until an injury forced him to stop pursuing sports. He pursued legal studies at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, where he repeated his initial year three times.
Career
Often referred to as the "star of the Belgian Bar," Mary earned the moniker “scumbags’ lawyer” () because of his work defending infamous criminals. Among his early cases were those involving Michel Lelievre, an associate of serial killer Marc Dutroux, and Fouad Belkacem, leader of the terrorist organization Sharia4Belgium.
Mary rose to international prominence when he represented Salah Abdeslam, the only surviving member of the group responsible for the November 2015 Paris attacks, who was apprehended in Molenbeek in March 2016. Together with French attorney Frank Berton, Mary defended Abdeslam during his 2018 trial in Brussels concerning a police shootout, advocating for acquittal based on procedural arguments; nonetheless, Abdeslam received a 20-year prison sentence.
Additionally, Mary has acted as legal counsel for French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo in civil litigation.
In February 2023, Mary took on the defense of Eva Kaili, a Greek MEP implicated in the Qatargate corruption case.
Publications
Mary has written:
- L'avocat rebelle, published by Kennes Editions in 2021, ISBN 9782380751413
- Défendre l'indéfendable, also published by Kennes Editions in 2021, ISBN 9782380751413
Personal life
He is divorced and has two daughters.