From: [c r w] at [loop.com] (crw) Newsgroups: alt.drugs.culture Subject: Drugs & Hum Rts: France vs the USA (long/Fr&Eng) Date: 28 Dec 1995 00:38:35 GMT FRANCE: Liberties Curtailed: yng Am held 2 yrs-No TRIAL-No BAIL Francais/English [2nd half] La Justice Francaise en cause....cas d'un jeune Americain - Dans le "quartier de prison" ou Barry reste, 6 jeunes detenus se sont suicides pendant les sept premiers mois de 1995, et bien des autres l'ont essaye. Les authorites semblent vouloir garder tout cela ultra-secret. - A 1m93, Barry a perdu beaucoup de poids. Il ne pese a present que 63 kilos, du a la sous-alimentation et a la malnutrition dans la prison. - Apres 1,7 ans de detention sans jugement, il est devenu completement deprime et demoralise. Ca se comprend. - Les parents et les amis de Barry qui sont venus en France pour le voir ne sont pas arrives a obtenir les permis de visite des authorites francaises. On a refuse a leur donner les permis de visite sans explication. Barry n'a eu que 2 visiteurs dans 2 ans d'emprisonnement. - Je vous serais tres reconnaissant de bien vouloir aider mon frere en lui envoyant quelques paroles d'encouragement, une petite lettre ou une carte postale. - Il est bien probable que le systeme judiciare/penal en France est - dans l'ensemble - bien plus juste que le systeme americain. Je n'en doute pas. Nous ne demandons, donc, qu'on rende justice a mon petit frere. Il faut esperer..... --------------------------------------------------- After 20 months, Barry, still in prison, has never had a trial or been sentenced ... or had any chance to address a French Court to point out their folly and to ask for his freedom back, despite numerous appeals from Human Rights activists. He is held in virtual isolation and often denied reading material in English that friends and family have sent him. He has had virtually no human contact. At 6'4" his weight has dropped to 139 lbs; he is suffering from malnutrition, semi-starvation, and increasing depression. Six (6) young inmates on his block committed suicide during the first 7 months of this year. Barry has had almost NO HUMAN contact in nearly 2 years. Friends and family have been refused prison visting permits necessary to see him, without any explanation. The American Embassy in Paris and the State Department are aware of this unspeakable treatment, but so far have been powerless to do anything. After the French public defender never bothered to see Barry during his first 7 months in prison, we, Barry's family, have retained a French attorney. We're hoping for the best. Sending Barry a note of encouragement or a postcard would be WONDERFUL.... This would help out his flagging morale a lot. Barry says he WANTS pen friends -- he needs friendship ... a whole lot. Please be sure to include your address **inside** the envelope so he can respond. Thanks SO MUCH in advance. God bless! Barry's Family Cecil, bro University of California [c r w] at [loop.com] 3697 Platt Ave. Lynwood, CA 90262 Tel/FAX: 310-632-1582 Please write to (svp, ecrivez a): Barry BRAIMAH 25241 M B2 E214 M.A.V.O. - Chemin Vert B.P. 32 - Osny 95524 Cergy Pontoise, FRANCE Merci d'avance. Cecil, brother [c r w] at [loop.com] ------------------------ Pour une mise a jour sur Barry, vous pouvez joindre par E-Mail sa famille en Californie: s/c Cecil (frere), [c r w] at [loop.com] ou [c r w 486] at [aol.com] La personne a contacter a l'Ambassade Americaine (Paris) est Michel FURET (tel: 1-43-12-22-22) _______________________________________________________________________ T a b l e d e s m a t i e r e s I. Lettre d'un Francais qui est enfin arrive a etablir le contact avec Barry II. Lettre d'appel de la famille de Barry en Californie III. Commentaires d'un avocat francais sur l'epreuve de Barry IV. Lettres de Barry envoyees de la M.A.V.O.-Pontoise/Osny (prison) V. Analyse des violations des Droits de l'Homme qu'on a fait subir a Barry, faite par un journaliste legal francais ________________________________________________________________________ I. Exp: Alain (Universite-Strasbourg) Salut a toutes et a tous, Vous vous souvenez sans doute de l'affaire du frere de Cecil, (toujours) emprisonne en France (1-1/2 ans sans proces, sans jugement)...et du scepticisme de certaines personnes. Si je reveille cette histoire maintenant c'est que j'ai du nouveau...j'ai envoye quelques revues a Barry, au mois de janvier je crois. Je viens de recevoir ce matin une lettre de Barry postee a Pontoise (ca correspond a l'adresse de la prison, donnee par Cecil). Donc Barry existe. Barry me dit entre autres qu'il n'a pas pu me repondre plus tot car les gardiens lui ont donne les revues sans l'enveloppe ou il y avait mes nom et adresse, et moi je n'avais pas mis de correspondance. C'est Cecil qui lui a donne mon adresse recemment. Il semble egalement que quand on se renseigne par telephone le personnel, qui ne connait sans doutes pas tous les detenus, prefere dire, par je-m'en-foutisme, qu'il n'y a personne, plutot que de se renseigner. Ce qui expliquerait que les gens qui se sont renseigne "n'ont trouve que du vide". Amicalement. Alain --------------------------------------------------------- II. Exp: la famille de Barry en Californie Bonjour, Quant a Barry, qu'il soit innocent ou coupable, nous ne demandons qu'on lui rende justice. Si vous auriez l'amabilite d'aider mon petit frere qui en a vu de dures - si vous etes en mesure de le faire - merci mille fois d'avance. Je vous serais tres reconnaissant de bien vouloir aider mon frere en lui envoyant quelques paroles d'encouragement, une petite lettre ou une carte postale. Cela lui fera le plus grand bien. Malgre tous nos efforts pendant 1-1/2 ans, nous -- les parents et les amis de Barry -- ne sommes pas arrives a obtenir des permis de visite, necessaires pour pourvoir aller le visiter en prison. On nous refuse sans explication. Egalement, la prison retourne les colis de journaux en anglais que les parents et les amis de Barry lui envoient...imprimes "Retour a l'expediteur. Refuse." Sans aucune explication. Il est faussement emprisonne depuis ses vacances en France en mai 1994, sans avoir meme eu l'occasion de voir ni un juge ni un avocat commis d'office pendant les sept premiers mois en prison. Il est Noir Americain. Sa deterioration mentale nous inquiete. C'est un jeune homme doux, gentil, prevenant et attentif, a tel point que tous ceux qui le connaissent sont persuades d'evidence du caractere injuste et inhumain des accusations contre lui. Il pourrit en prison. Ce supplice le rend fou de terreur. C'est tres triste, cette sale affaire. Alors qu'il rendait visite a un ami dans son appartement parisien, il sonna a la porte, et, comme un inconnu lui ouvrait, demanda nommement a parler a son ami; alors, a sa grande surprise, il se vit arreter et passer les menottes! En depit de mes efforts, et bien que plusieurs mois se soient ecoules, je n'ai pu jusqu'ici obtenir que des informations tres lacunaires. Il semble que l'immeuble ait ete sous surveillance policiere dans une affaire de trafic de drogue. Non seulement Barry ne consomme pas lui-meme de drogue, pas plus d'ailleurs qu'il ne boit ni qu'il ne fume, ni a jamais eu aucun contact d'aucune sorte avec le trafic des stupefiants, mais il a consacre sa vie entiere a combattre, par son exemple, toutes les deviances et les comportements de ce type. Mais qu'il soit coupable ou non de quelque improbable delit, nous tenons absolument a ce que Barry soit traite equitablement et a etre dument informes de l'evolution de sa situation. On nous a dit qu'il est possible que Barry ait a subir une peine de 10 ans d'emprisonnement, qu'il soit coupable ou non. Ca se presente mal pour lui, vu qu'il est noir, d'apres ce que l'Amnestie Internationale vient de publier a l'egard des violations des Droits de l'Homme de plus en plus communes en France actuellement. Nous ne demandons qu'on lui rende justice. Je vous serais tres reconnaissant de bien vouloir aider mon frere en lui envoyant quelques paroles d'encouragement, une petite lettre ou une carte postale. Barry BRAIMAH 25241 M B2 E214 M.A.V.O. - Chemin Vert B.P. 32 - Osny 95524 Cergy Pontoise Merci d'avance, si vous etes en mesure de le faire. Sans aucun doute que cela lui fera le plus grand bien. Heureusement, nous venons de trouver un tres bon avocat francais (Maitre Z. ADJAS) - qui est a la fois competent et compatissant, et dont l'honorarium semble etre assez juste. Sachez bien qu'il est bien probable que le systeme judiciare/penal en France est - dans l'ensemble - bien plus juste que le systeme americain. Je n'en doute pas. Nous ne demandons, donc, qu'on rende justice a mon petit frere. Il faut esperer..... Merci d'avance ! Cecil, frere University of California [c r w] at [loop.com] -------------------------------------------------------- III. Exp: Jean-Pierre (avocat) >Malgre tous nos efforts pour 1-1/2 ans, nous -- les parents et les amis de >Barry -- ne sommes pas arrives a obtenir des permis de visite, necessaires >pour pourvoir aller le visiter en prison. On nous refuse sans explication. >Egalement, la prison retourne les colis de journaux en anglais que les >parents et les amis de Barry lui envoient...imprimes "Retour a >l'expediteur. >Refuse." Bonjour, Je trouve personnellement inadmissible que: - Barry ne puisse lire dans sa langue, - Qu'il ne puisse recevoir de visites. Cela est proprement scandaleux. - En ce qui concerne la lecture de journaux ou livres en anglais. Je ne pense pas qu'il y ait la moindre regle qui autorise l'administration penitentiaire a refuser l'acces de litterature etrangere. - En ce qui concerne les visites, la regle est qu'elles sont toujours permises sauf circonstances exceptionnelles. Mais dans la realite, compte-tenu de l'impossibilite pour l'administration penitentiaire de laisser chaque detenu recevoir autant de visites qu'il le souhaite, les permis sont delivres avec parcimonie. - Une reforme des cours d'assise est en projet. A cette occasion il fait etat des delais anormalement longs pour qu'un accuse soit juge et qui sont en moyenne de deux ans sur l'ensemble. Le projet prevoit d'introduire un tribunal criminel departemental dont les decisions seront susceptibles d'appel. Jean-Pierre --------------------------------------------------------- IV. RE: BARRY -- en prison francais DEST: Cecil, frere de Barry Exp: Alain (Universite-Stasbourg) Bonjour, J'ai voulu te recontacter, car j'ai envoye recemment a Barry une enveloppe avec 5 revues (j'ai cru comprendre que c'etait le maximum autorise), comme je l'avais fait il y a quelques mois, et elle m'a ete retournee avec la mention "Retour a l'expediteur. Refuse'". Sans un mot d'explication. La politesse ne doit pas etre la specialite du personnel carceral. Sans explications des decideurs de la prison, comment savoir ce qui est accepte et ce qui est refuse? pourquoi 5 revues sont-elles acceptees en janvier, et refusees en juillet? As-tu une idee de ce qu'il faut faire? Amicalement. Alain ...je voulais ... recopier la lettre de Barry pour te la retransmettre. La voici. Si tu veux la citer dans tes demarches futures, il n'y a pas de probleme pour moi. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Exp: Barry a la MAVO-Osny Hello Alain, Thanks you for writing to me again, it's great tp hear from you and your friends. I would surely ** Love ** to receive reading materials from you; unfortunately the prison has put restrictions on receiving reading materials. The logic of that I still don't understand. I also found out lately that the judge d'instruction has denied visiting permits to people who came all the way from the states to see me. When contacted he said only family members would be allowed. But I ain't got any family member who will be able to visit. I am not surprised that the authorities make sure they deny a person all his rights -- but trying to stop me from having access to books is quite shocking and outrageous and outdated. I don't see why anyone should be denied books. That is something for political prisoners or the kind of treatment one expects in a Banana Republic. I don't know why one person (judge d'instruction) was given the power to jail people - whether guilty or innocent - for as long as he likes without trial or judgement. I find this quite absurd. And I would surely like to know how other people understand it. You ask if I have special interest that I would like to discuss. The only thing I am really interested in right now is the cold blooded, and sadistic abuse of peoples' rights by the so-called judge d'instruction. It's one thing to lock up a person innocently, but denying the person knowledge and visits from love ones is out of hand. People tend to tell me what the code penal says regarding prisoners' rights -- but what happens when those rights are not respected? Nothing. The code penal also says a person is innocent until proven guilty. But being here for 16 months without being given the chance to prove my innocence has made me believe the code penal is a joke. Intended as funny, just to fool the civilized world. In reality, here, it is no different from Cuba or China or any other land run by a military junta. I may be wrong on this. So I would like to see how the law really works for you guys. For me and many others here it doesn't exist. Excuse me if am out of line. You've gotta understand that 16 months without contact with loved one or family is enough to create a subconscious deficit. Well, still expecting the worse and hoping for the best. Thank you again for reaching out. Peace Bary. -------------------------------------------------- Exp: Barry a la MAVO-Osny Dear Alain, I understand that when people inquire about me by phone, the prison authorities tell them I am not here. I am not surprised. To them we are nothing, zero, just objects. I wish the justice system would realized that we are not just objects -- but real lives, humans ... instead of just grabbing people and throwing them in here, requiring them to fend for themselves, then forgetting about them for months and years, without charges or trial. It has been like this for a long time and is still going on. People just happen to know about me because my brother is connected with the INTERNET. On the other hand, there are people who have spent over 2 years here without trial. They're just suspected of committing some petty crime or another. I don't know the name of the cops who arrested me, neither did I know which station I was taken to. They say by law after 24 hrs a person can have an attorney. I spent 96 hrs without an attorney or a phone call to notify the embassy. When I asked about it they told me this is not America. I believe them. I am old enough to know not to expect a red carpet treatment from cops. But to those people who are writing my brother to tell him how nice the law is in France, I would like to ask them if it covers every one. If it is for everyone then why wasn't I treated like the law inquires? If it doesn't cover everyone, then they should know that is a dual system and a double standard. Well, I hope to hear from you again. And feel free to ask all questions. All the best. Barry. ------------------------------------------------------- V. (Analysis of the Human Rights violations Barry has suffered) Re: What was in Barry's letter Exp: Jean-Luc (French legal journalist) Paris Dear Cecil, I'm late in writing to you, but my professional life doesn't let me much liberty during these days. I've been negociating for a long time with the staff of a news magazine, and they finally hired me (I'll begin there in one month). I'm telling you that because that will give me more ability to make your brother's story known. Your brother's letter was very bitter. He didn't even say a word about his innocence, and I suppose that means he thinks the abuse he suffered would not be tolerable either for a guilty person; and he is right about that. We are not conscious of that in France. Every single abuse your brother describes is not really a scandal by itself. If you consider any particular one individually, you think it's regrettable, but it seems rather commonplace in a system whose lack of human and financial means is well known... and accepted by the tax-payers. But if you consider the accumulation of all that, then the result is intolerable, and intolerable in such a high degree it would be hard for me to pretend that my country deserves to be considered civilized as far as justice is concerned. Your brother complains about many things: - The juge d'instruction seems convinced that your brother is guilty, and apparently does nothing to look for elements that would demonstrate his innocence; your brother says the judge doesn't even let him express his own version of the facts. According to our judiciary principles (they are not perfect, but at least they exist), this is not tolerable: the juge d'instruction's duty is to "instruire a charge et a decharge", to look *both* for elements demonstrating guilt and innocence. A judge is not a prosecutor. Alas, I don't think that attitude can be attacked before the trial. - Your brother says "It took me 7 months to find out why and how I was arrested. It took 30 hrs for them to bring me a translator. Lawyer? what lawyer, I ain't see any". The first and third elements, of course, are not legal, they are so obviously illegal they would give excellent legal matter, for your brother's attorney, to attack your brother's detention "en refere", that means with accelerated procedure (few juge d'instruction's decisions can be attacked, but the "mise en detention provisoire" - fact to put into jail - can). But I only say "it would", because I suppose your brother was told the charges that were against him, and was offered an attorney... but all that in French, before the translator comes, and your brother certainly did not understand. - Your brother says that the US embassy was not notified about his arrest, and tells me "Please contact the embassy" to check that. I certainly will, but I hope you will give me some more elements to help me to do so (I can only give your brother's name, and not even the accurate date of his arrest). If this is true, that probably allows to attack all the rest of the procedure... but the most important is that it can put the French justice in such a mess they will probably prefer to expel your brother than to judge him. And after your brother is freed without having been sentenced, he can attack the French jail administration for "detention arbitraire" (arbitrary detention) in front of the administrative courts. These ones are totally different from the penal ones, and they sometimes give huge damages when the abuse is obvious. - Your brother says "I was not allowed to contact a lawyer, family or any one for five days". That is totally illegal, and it is an extremely serious offense. It is true that some French laws allow the police to question a suspect without telling him why they do so and without letting him contact a lawyer yet. This is called the "garde a vue", it is a legal abuse inherited from very old rules, but this abuse has always been strictly restricted. When I studied Law, I think the garde a vue could not last more than 48 hours. The European courts criticized that very strongly, and the garde a vue was restricted to 24 hours (I think) a few years ago. Your brother's attorney has the *duty* to attack that, and it can be done: some official papers, signed by the defendant, show when he was arrested and when he was offered an attorney. If the difference between the two dates is obviously superior to the maximum garde a vue, that is another very strong means to attack your brother's detention. - Your brother writes: "I am in this prison for 14 months now, and I found out that almost all of us that are not French citizens are the ones who are subjected to this abuse." I have no word to answer that, because I know it's true. It is already rather common for a French accused person to spend nearly one year in jail before his trial, and it is obvious, as I told you, that everything that is bad for the French is a disaster for the foreigners. When French judges are told about the length of the detention for presumed innocent people, they answer two things: 1 - we're trying to act so that the persons who suffer this abuse are only persons who will be convicted (I heard that myself; of course, that is absolutely not an excuse, and the result is to transform presumed innocent into presumed guilty); 2 - we don't have enough means to work faster (and unfortunately, this is absolutely true, too). On that point, there is absolutely no doubt that the French judiciary system is a disaster. But the solution is not easy to find out. At least, the justice and the jails should be given much more money... but the tax-payers, who are electors too, will not agree on that. I'm sorry, Cecil, but I can't say anything to defend neither France nor the French citizens about that. I can't even say that this scandal should be known; it is known. What I didn't know myself is that the duration of the provisional detention was worse for the foreigners than for the French. But honestly, I should have guessed. - Your brother says that the most serious element that made him a suspect to the eyes of the French police, is the fact that he has many credit cards and travels a lot to Europe. Well, that, added to the fact that he visited a friend involved in drug trafficking (if I understood well), may indeed be enough to make him a suspect. But it's certainly not enough to have him sentenced. If your brother were alone in that affair, I suppose the judge would prefer to free him than to risk an acquittal after 14 months of detention. But there are probably many other accused the judge is sure to make convicted, and your brother has to remain in jail until the collective trial (his absence during the trial could invalidate the whole procedure, for him and for the others). Nobody is freed on bail in France - that possibility doesn't exist in our Law - and if the juge d'instruction thinks there is a risk that a freed suspect vanishes, he keeps him in jail. That is not an abuse in itself, it becomes one when the procedure lasts too much. Unfortunately, it always lasts too much. - Your brother writes "You also know that in France when the Judge de Inst. sends a case to court, chances of being acquitted is zero." Your brother has obviously many reasons to believe so, but he is wrong. What gives him that impression is the fact that a juge d'instruction only keeps a suspect in jail for a long time before his trial when he is nearly sure that the man will be convicted. If he is not sure, he lets the man free until his trial (or even "abandonne les poursuites", closes the case). That is quite common, but your brother cannot see it. As your brother only sees in jail pre-selected accused, he has the impression that nobody is acquitted ever. That is not true, our system is indeed often defective, but not to that degree. But of course, your brother would not be in prison if the juge d'instruction were not nearly sure that he will be convicted. Well, that's what the juge d'instruction thinks, and the final judges are obviously influenced by that. But the juge d'instruction may be wrong, the other judges know it, and there will be a certain control before the final decision. A good attorney can make the difference. - Your brother writes he even has to pay for basic things such as toothpaste and toilet paper. That does not surprise me. As I already told you, tax-payers don't like prisoners... - Your brother writes "I can't say much in this letter, cause the lawyer told me to watch what I say, cause if I pissed off the Judge he could make things hard for me. In other words, they want me to keep the abuse a secret matter." I may be wrong, but I think that the risk is not very big: even if the guards of the prison look at your brother's letters, they probably don't speak English well enough to understand what he says. Besides, they don't work with the judges, and if they saw something that would not please them, they would not tell the judge, they would tell the prison director. Finally, your brother writes: "Well, as I say, am glad you at least try to find the truth. I hope my attorney (which in France means nothing) will be able to give you further information about this case. And if there's more you will like to check on feel free to write back. Am still here." Jean-Luc -------------------------- SVP, ecrivez a (please write to): Barry BRAIMAH 25241 M B2 E214 M.A.V.O. - Chemin Vert B.P. 32 - Osny 95524 Cergy Pontoise, FRANCE Cecil, brother Adresse de la famille (home address): 3697-1/2 Platt Ave. Lynwood, CA 90262-3641 Tel/FAX: 310-632-1582 [c r w] at [loop.com]