News

DATE=3/10/99 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-246458 TITLE= FRANCE LIBYA TRIAL (L-ONLY) BYLINE=JULIAN NUNDY DATELINE=PARIS CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: A FRENCH COURT WEDNESDAY CONVICTED AND SENTENCED SIX LIBYANS IN THEIR ABSENCE TO LIFE IN JAIL FOR THE 1989 BOMBING OF A FRENCH AIRLINER THAT KILLED 170 PEOPLE ON BOARD. JULIAN NUNDY REPORTS FROM PARIS. TEXT: THE SIX LIBYANS -- INCLUDING ABDALLAH SENOUSSI, A BROTHER-IN-LAW OF LIBYAN LEADER MUAMMAR GADHAFI -- WERE ALL GIVEN THE MAXIMUM LIFE SENTENCE FOR THE BOMBING OF A FRENCH D-C-10 AIRLINER OVER NIGER IN 1989. ALL OF THEM WERE ABSENT FROM THE TRIAL, HOWEVER. WHILE NONE IS LIKELY TO EVER SEE THE INSIDE OF A FRENCH PRISON CELL, THE VERDICT DOES MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE SIX -- ALL MEMBERS OF LIBYA'S SECURITY SERVICES OR DIPLOMATS -- TO TRAVEL. THEY RISK ARREST AND BEING HANDED OVER TO FRANCE, IF THEY GO ABROAD. IF THEY ARE EVER ARRESTED BY FRENCH POLICE, THEY WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE GUARANTEED A NEW TRIAL UNDER FRENCH LAW. THIS WEEK'S TRIAL BY A SPECIAL FRENCH ANTI-TERRORIST COURT LASTED JUST THREE DAYS. THAT'S BECAUSE ONLY THE PROSECUTION'S CASE AND STATEMENTS BY LAWYERS REPRESENTING THE FAMILIES OF THE 170 WHO DIED WERE HEARD. THE BOMBING OF THE FRENCH AIRLINER THAT WAS FLYING BETWEEN BRAZZAVILLE AND PARIS, ALONG WITH A SIMILAR ATTACK ON A PAN AMERICAN AIRLINER OVER LOCKERBIE, SCOTLAND NINE MONTHS EARLIER, LED THE UNITED NATIONS TO IMPOSE INTERNATIONAL SANCTIONS ON LIBYA. THE AMERICANS AND THE BRITISH HAVE SOUGHT THE EXTRADITION OF THE LIBYAN OFFICIALS THEY HOLD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LOCKERBIE TRAGEDY TO BE TRIED BEFORE AN INTERNATIONAL COURT. BUT FRANCE HAS NOT FORMALLY SOUGHT THE EXTRADITION OF ITS SIX SUSPECTS. IT HAS INSTEAD TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO PERSUADE LIBYA TO SURRENDER THEM VOLUNTARILY. FRANCE'S ANTI-TERRORIST SERVICES CONCLUDED THAT LIBYA WAS RESPONSIBLE AFTER THEY ANALYZED 15 TONS OF WRECKAGE STREWN OVER THE TENERE DESERT. THEIR KEY ITEM OF EVIDENCE WAS PART OF A GERMAN-MADE TIMING DEVICE OF A KIND BOUGHT IN BULK BY LIBYA. THEY CONCLUDED THAT THE BOMB WAS CARRIED UNWITTINGLY BY A CONGOLESE WHO WAS GIVEN THE SUITCASE CONTAINING THE BOMB BY A LIBYAN DIPLOMAT IN BRAZZAVILLE. DURING THE INVESTIGATION, LIBYA ALLOWED FRANCE'S MAIN ANTI-TERRORIST INVESTIGATOR TO VISIT TRIPOLI TO INTERVIEW SUSPECTS. COLONEL GADHAFI HAS HINTED THAT HE MIGHT BE WILLING TO MAKE THE SUSPECTS SERVE WHATEVER SENTENCES ARE HANDED DOWN IN PARIS -- BUT ONLY THAT TIME IS SERVED IN LIBYAN JAILS. LAWYERS FOR THE VICTIMS' FAMILIES NOW SAY THEY WILL TRY AND PUT PRESSURE ON LIBYA TO MAKE THIS PROMISE COME TRUE. (SIGNED) NEB/JWN/PCF 10-Mar-99 11:03 AM EST (1603 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .