US embassy cable - 05PARIS2034

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 002034 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/WE, S/CT AND S/WCI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, FR, PTER, KJUS, KAWC 
SUBJECT: EX-GTMO DETAINEES UPDATE: 6 IN PRETRIAL DETENTION 
 
REF: PARIS 1699 
 
Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR JOSIAH ROSENBLATT, FOR REAS 
ONS 1.4 B/D 
 
1.  (C) The Paris Court of Appeal on March 25 ordered ex-GTMO 
detainee Ridouane Khalid imprisoned pending investigation of 
charges of "criminal association with a terrorist 
enterprise."  Returned to France on March 7, Khalid had been 
released on March 11, though he remained under judicial 
watch.  The court also upheld the detention of Khaled ben 
Mustafa, who had been turned over to French custody at the 
same time as Khalid but who had not been freed.  At the 
trial, the prosecution argued that both men posed a threat to 
public order and should be jailed while their cases are 
investigated by French authorities. 
 
2.  (C) Previously, on March 21, a "liberty and detention" 
judge ruled that the four ex-Guantanamo detainees returned to 
France in summer 2004 -- Nizar Sassi, Brahim Yadel, Mourad 
Benchellali and Imad Achab Kanouni -- continue to be held in 
pretrial detention.  In ruling that the detainees should be 
detained for another four months, the judge said the 
detainees continued to pose a flight risk and in addition, 
they were the subject of ongoing judicial investigations. 
Lawyers for the four detainees said they would appeal.  These 
most recent rulings mean that six of the seven French former 
GTMO detainees are in custody while their investigations 
continue; the seventh detainee, Mustaq Ali Patel, was 
determined not to be an enemy combatant by a Combat Status 
Review Tribunal and was released from French custody after 
initial questioning following his return to France on March 7. 
Wolff