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Press release : the AfVT approves the Canadian decision about the suspect Hassan DIAB
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Stéphane LACOMBE19min0
Press release – 16th of May 2014
TERRORIST ATTACK AGAINST
THE SYNAGOGUE OF COPERNIC STREET
IN PARIS, FRANCE (3rd of October 1980)
The French Association of Victims of Terrorism (AfVT.org)
approves the judgment
of the Canadian Court of Appeal
in favor of the extradition of a Canadian suspect, Mr. Hassan Diab,
requested by the French authorities in 2008.
The victims are still waiting for a fair trial,
more than thirty years after the bombing.
The French Association of Victims of Terrorism (AfVT.org) and several victims gathered yesterday, 15th of May 2014, in front of the synagogue of Copernic Street in Paris.
Interviews and public statements have been made to comment the judgment made by the Canadian justice.
David PERE, the lawyer representing the French Association of Victims of Terrorism (AfVT.org), declared :
« This is an important decision for the investigation but the case is far from being closed. Indeed, a last appeal is about to be initiated by Mr. Hassan Diab and addressed to the Canadian Supreme Court in order to delay once more the procedure. We're preparing ourselves with Canadian lawyers in order to be ready. »
Guillaume DENOIX de SAINT MARC, executive director of the French Association of Victims of Terrorism (AfVT.org), adds :
« We salute this decision from the Canadian justice that is also a strong message sent to all those who think that impunity and oblivion can match with terrorist crimes. We support the victims on the long term for their just cause : to obtain, more than 30 years after, a fair and decent trial. The families have the right to seek the truth. The French judge in charge of the investigation has many elements in his hands convincing him that Mr. Hassan Diab has to be questioned for the benefit of the case. This is the law. From our side, we strongly believe into the legitimity and the strength of an international cooperation against terrorism. »
When the judgment of the Canadian Court of Appeal has been released, the victims showed a mix of relief and hope :
Mrs. Patricia BARBE, who lost her father, and Mr. Gerald BARBIER, who was injured alongside several members of his family, have been interviewed yesterday by the French media and expressed « their will to obtain justice according to our democratic values ».
Mr. Micha SHAGRIR, who lost his wife, declared from Israel, alongside his sons :
« The victims and their families have been waiting for over thirty years to see in court the authors of this crime that deliberately targeted many innocent people. We expect to see the legal procedures to continue because, fortunately for the victims, this case has never been closed in France. We expect to see Mr. Hassan Diab explaining himself in France on the suspicion against him. Then, only the judge can decide what will happen next. »
On the 3rd of october 1980, a bomb settled on a motobike exploded at 6.37 pm (French hour) in front of the synagogue of Copernic Street in Paris (France).
It was friday, the day before Shabbat. The synagogue was packed with 320 people inside.
4 people have been killed by the explosion, 46 others were injured.
Fortunately, the criminal investigation showed that the bomb exploded sooner than it was planned. Otherwise, the number of victims would have been much higher.
Despite the fact that there never was a trial to this day, the investigation never stopped in France and several famous French judges led the case.
The investigators saw rapidly that the main member of the commando left some clues related to his stay in Paris, including the number of his passport and a written note.
The name of the suspect, identified as « Hassan Diab », appears 2128 times in 281 documents from the procedure.
On the 5th of November 2008, the French magistrate Marc TREVIDIC issued an arrest warrant against a Canadian citizen named Hassan Diab, a professor of sociology at the university of Ottawa.
On the 12th of December 2008, France addressed to Canada an official request to extradate Mr. Hassan Diab.
Despite a positive response from the Canadian authorities to this request, Mr. Hassan Diab used all the legal means he had to delay the procedure.
On the 2nd of October 2013, the French Association of Victims of Terrorism (AfVT.org) set up a press conference inside the synagogue of Copernic Street in order to show the authorities and the public opinion that the victims were still claiming for their rights.
On the 15th of May 2014, after several months of debates, the Canadian Court of Appeal released its judgment : the extradition in France of Mr. Hassan Diab has been validated.
THE DECEASED VICTIMS
Mr. Jean-Michel BARBE, 41, killed while driving his car.
Mr. Philippe BOUISSOU, 22, killed while driving his motobike.
Mr. Hilario LOPES-FERNANDES, 40, the Portugese concierge of the « Victor Hugo » hotel, who passed away two days after the bombing.
Mrs. Aliza SHAGRIR, 42, a journalist from Israel, was killed while she was walking on the sidewalk.
In order to obtain interviews from the French victims and Mr. Micha SHAGRIR :
kindly send your requests to the following address : contact@afvt.org
Thank you for your attention.
Association française des Victimes du Terrorisme – AfVT.org,
5 bd Pereire, 75017 Paris, France – Tél : +33 9 82 47 83 96
contact@afvt.org – www.afvt.org
Copernic street
David PERE
French association
Gérald Barbier
guillaume denoix de saint marc
Marc Trévidic
Micha Shagrir
Patricia Barbé
Victim's rights
précédent15 mai 2014 : mobilisation de l'AfVT.org autour des victimes de la rue Copernic
suivantHommage à Paris aux victimes des attentats de Casablanca