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At end, find an UPDATE on the American tourist sentenced to
18 years in France without the possibility of appeal

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LIBERATION, 28 September 1998

"Those 'Small Fry' Who Have Been Netted: the
Defendants Heard This Week Have Only Tenuous Ties
with the Case," by Marc Pivois

An Islamist Network on Trial at Fleury-Merogis

Two big empty buses park every afternoon in front
of the prison gymnasium at Fleury-Merogis, turned
since September 1st into an annex of the district
court of Paris. Two or three hours later, the two
buses, requistioned to "relieve" bus line 510 which
serves the prison, leave again, just as empty. "It
was in case the trial drew a crowd," sigh the
drivers. But at the trial of the Islamist networks
dismantled by Judge Bruguiere in 1995 and 1996,
there is no crowd. In the audience, six people at
most, including two journalists and two General
Intelligence agents. In the space reserved for the
hundreds of defendants left free, there are rarely
more than eight or ten at a time. The three rows of
lecterns provided for the lawyers are occupied only
by a rotating representative of the bar
association. For twenty-five days, the majority of
the lawyers have decided to boycott this "mass
trial". There remain the two big docks with their
bullet-proof glass, placed on each side of the
hall, honored by the only two prisoners who have
agreed to come.

In the gymnasium-courtroom, the mess spreads out to
the point of malaise.

Moussa Djebari, 45, had a grocery store in the 18th
arrondissement. He told the judge he was not a
practicing Muslim. "I never entered a mosque, not
even as a tourist." Only Djebari had a friend,
Zoubir Khelifi, with whom he had conversations in
his store and for whom he did a few small favors.
But this Zoubir, according to the prosecution,
"maintains constant relations" with Sid Ahmed
Toumache, owner of a restaurant, "nerve center of
the Islamist network". That was enough for Moussa
Djebari, who knows Zoubir who knows Toumache, to
spend twenty-one months in preventive detention. In
the Barbes grocery store, the police found the
"devastating proofs" that Judge Bruno Steimann
wearily evokes. Notably a tract and a brochure
emanating from the FIS, sold in broad daylight on
the sidewalks of the neighborhood.

Nacera Labsi, 47, unmarried, lived in an apartment
in La Courneuve with her sister and her nephew.
Half the family is in Algeria. She took the calls,
took down messages for people. The telephone was
tapped because of the nephew. Someone mentioned to
Nacera "fifteen cigarettes" which were to be
fetched. "That didn't surprise you, that means you
knew that a cigarette means a detonator,"
questioned the judge. "I didn't ask any questions,"
the woman replied. But the court had another proof
of her "total integration" into the network: "In
the agenda book of an individual housed by a person
who had compromising documents, the number of your
apartment was found." Nacera Labsi spent twenty
months in prison.

The defendants paraded at the rate of six to eight
per afternoon. Medium and small fry, especially
small fry. Bahia talked on the telephone with
Zouzou, her mother. She said, "Balladur, the dog".
That meant she was "engaged in political violence".
Especially because on her night table, a package of
photos was found, souvenir of a recent party give
for Aid. In one appears Cheik Salem, considered as
the recruiting sergeant for the Islamists. The
prosecution claims that if you have a photo of a
terrorist on your night table, it means you are
very close to him. Nacera Touam housed her brother
"major element in the network," for two months.
Another gave a few nights' lodgings to compatriots
close to active Islamists. Marie-Noelle Drou,
feminist and convinced pacifist, rented a studio
for years to her ex-son-in-law. Who sublet it, with
her consent, for three months to Mourad Tacine. Bad
luck, Tacine was the presumed chief of a branch
helping the GIA. She spent four months in
detention. Sometimes, a defendant seems more
involved. Behind him immediately appear his
brother, his cousin, his aunt... All embarked in
the same catchall of an unceremonious
investigation. Everyone defends himself, alone, as
best he can. Sometimes not so badly.

This week, the court should finally hear the most
active members of the three networks, including
Mohamed Chalabi, Mohamed Kerouche and Mourad
Tacine, the "founders" according to the
prosecution. Knowing that the lawyers' benches will
remain empty, it is unlikely that they will agree
to leave their cells. The trial will continue
between judges and prosecutor, in great privacy.


OTHER TRANSLATIONS


-- Translations of Liberation articles 
reporting on Human Rights cases in France currently
under investigation by the European Council's 
Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT):

    Please go to:

* http://x11.dejanews.com/getdoc.xp?AN=355681964


-- For Human Rights reports/documents (French & English):

* http://www.jura.uni-sb.de/france/Law-France/index.html


-- Amnesty International Report 1997-FRANCE:


* http://www.amnesty.org//ailib/countries/indx421.htm

______________________________________________________


NOTE:

Barry BRAIMAH: African American tourist -- "trapped" in French prison,
       condemned to 18 years without the possibility 
       of appeal

* Links to other translations, found at Barry Justice Website:

          http://www.poboxes.com/justice

In July, Barry passed his 5th consecutive birthday behind
French prison bars, in semi-isolation, in a 9X12-foot cell.

 
Barry's Support Committee
FreeBarry1@aol.com
Justice@Starmail.com
101716.144@compuserve.com
Trapped@worldonline.nl (Lars)

Barry's family:
Cecil.Washington@Juno.com
Olu@Juno.com

Please send Barry a simple msg of encouragement:

    Barry BRAIMAH
    Ecrou 875158 - Div. 3/208
    Allee des Thuyas
    94261 Fresnes - CEDEX
    FRANCE
            
Barry's family is poor.  Efforts are now underway to try 
and raise funds for his legal expenses.  

Your help with this case -- any aspect of it -- would be most 
welcome!