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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