French court jails Muslim activists in `travesty' trial

The biggest "terrorist" trial ever held in France ended yesterday with 40 per cent of the 138 defendants cleared of any connection with political violence and some of France's most prominent lawyers promising to fight against a repeat of what they called a travesty of justice that brought shame upon their country.

Three Algerians, Mohamed Chalabi, Mohamed Kerrouche and Mourad Tacine, received the heaviest sentences of eight years in prison. This is to be followed by permanent expulsion from France to Algeria for collecting weapons, money and counterfeit documents on behalf of Muslim fundamentalists fighting to overthrow the Algerian regime. Kerrouche had been extradited from Britain.

The defendants were arrested in mass round-ups ordered by France's right-wing "anti-terrorist" judge, Jean-Louis Brugiere, in 1994. All were accused of "association of evil-doers in relation with a terrorist undertaking", a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Judge Brugiere's habit of arresting people even vaguely connected with the chief suspects is increasingly condemned by human rights groups and the French media. Although 107 of the defendants were free during the trial, most spent months in jail after they were arrested.

Since 1994 the 138 had served an aggregate of 33 years in prison in excess of the sentences handed down yesterday, of which 13 1/2 years were served by 31 individuals who were found to be totally innocent. Twenty others were convicted of crimes unconnected with "terrorism", mostly immigration irregularities.

Almost all of the 60 defence lawyers walked out on the first day of the trial last September to protest at the venue, a gymnasium next to Fleury-Merogis prison, 45 km south of Paris.

Most of the trial consisted of the reading of a 600-page summary of the 50,000-page indictment. Lawyers argued that it was impossible for judges to distinguish among the accused in these circumstances.

The lawyers announced yesterday that they are founding a group called Collectif Defense to ensure that French authorities respect the right to a fair trial in the future. They are appealing the verdict, and will take their case to the European Court of Human Rights.