DATE=12/23/97

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-224467

TITLE=FRANCE / CARLOS  (L ONLY)

BYLINE=JULIAN NUNDY

DATELINE=PARIS

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:



     //// WILL BE UPDATED AFTER VERDICT ANNOUNCEMENT. /////



INTRO:  THE LAST DAY OF THE MURDER TRIAL OF THE ALLEGED

VENEZUELAN TERRORIST, CARLOS, RAN INTO THE EVENING AFTER A NEW

PROCEDURAL PROBLEM WAS RAISED.  JULIAN NUNDY REPORTS FROM PARIS.



TEXT:  SINCE THE TRIAL OF ILICH RAMIREZ SANCHEZ, BETTER KNOWN AS

CARLOS, BEGAN ON DECEMBER 12TH, DAILY INTERRUPTIONS HAVE DELAYED

THE CASE SEVERAL TIMES, MEANING THE HEARING LASTED TWO-DAYS

LONGER THAN EXPECTED.



THE FINAL DAY OF THE TRIAL WAS  NO  EXCEPTION.  JUST AFTER HIS

DEFENSE LAWYERS HAD SUMMED UP THEIR CASE, AND AS CARLOS WAS ABOUT

TO SPEAK ON HIS OWN ACCOUNT, THEY FOUND A NEW PRETEXT TO PROMPT A

RECESS.



THIS CAME WHEN THE DEFENSE ARGUED CARLOS HAD BRIEFLY BEEN WITHOUT

A LAWYER ON THE SECOND DAY OF THE TRIAL DECEMBER 15TH.  HIS

LAWYERS HAD WALKED OUT, PROTESTING A REFUSAL BY THE JUDGE TO RULE

CARLOS' ARREST IN 1994 WAS ILLEGAL.



FOR ABOUT AN HOUR THAT DAY, UNTIL A COURT-APPOINTED LAWYER TOOK

OVER, EVIDENCE WAS HEARD WITHOUT LEGAL COUNSEL IN ATTENDANCE FOR

THE DEFENDANT.  UNDER FRENCH LAW, A DEFENDANT MUST BE ASSISTED BY

A LAWYER DURING TRIAL.



TUESDAY, THE TRIAL RESUMED AFTER A SHORT SUSPENSION IN WHICH THE

DEFENSE ARGUMENT WAS REJECTED.  THE DELAY MEANT THE JURY COULD

NOT  RETIRE TO CONSIDER ITS VERDICT UNTIL THE EVENING.



EARLIER, THE PROSECUTOR CALLED FOR THE MAXIMUM SENTENCE OF LIFE

IMPRISONMENT TO BE HANDED DOWN FOR THE MURDER OF TWO FRENCH

COUNTER-ESPIONAGE OFFICERS AND A LEBANESE INFORMANT IN PARIS IN

1975.



THE PROSECUTOR SAID THIS WAS  NOT REVENGE BUT SIMPLE APPLICATION

OF FRENCH LAW.  AT THIS, CARLOS, WHO HAS OFTEN SURPRISED THE

COURT BY HIS RELAXED AND IRREVERENT ATTITUDE, STOOD UP TO APPLAUD

THE PROSECUTOR.



CARLOS' MOST FAMOUS OPERATION WAS THE KIDNAPPING OF ARAB AND

DEVELOPING WORLD OIL MINISTERS IN VIENNA IN 1975.  HE THEN TOOK

THEM IN A PLANE PROVIDED BY THE AUSTRIAN GOVERNMENT TO ALGERIA

AND LIBYA BEFORE RELEASING THE LAST OF HIS HOSTAGES IN ALGIERS.



DURING THE PARIS TRIAL, CARLOS, DESCRIBING HIMSELF AS A

"PROFESSIONAL REVOLUTIONARY," HAS  NOT CONTESTED THE CHARGES

AGAINST HIM.  HE SAYS HE IS PROUD OF HIS ACTIVITIES ON BEHALF OF

THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE IN THE 1970'S AND 1980'S.



CARLOS WAS SPIRITED OUT OF HIS LAST HIDING PLACE IN SUDAN THREE

YEARS AGO BY FRENCH AGENTS AND FLOWN TO PARIS WHERE HE HAS BEEN

IN JAIL SINCE.



HIS DEFENSE LAWYERS ARGUED FOR AN ACQUITTAL ON THE GROUNDS THERE

WERE TECHNICAL ERRORS IN THE POLICE INVESTIGATION INTO THE 1975

KILLINGS.  AS ONE OF HIS LAWYERS REMARKED, EVEN AN ACQUITTAL

WOULD  NOT  HAVE MEANT FREEDOM.  CARLOS STILL FACES FIVE MORE

TRIALS FOR ATTACKS ON FRENCH SOIL THAT CAUSED ANOTHER 13 DEATHS

AT THE HEIGHT OF HIS TERRORIST CAREER.   (SIGNED)



NEB/JWN/JWH



23-Dec-97 1:05 PM EST (1805 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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