The former President of the Republic intervened as a witness this Wednesday before the special assize court. His testimony, which was opposed by several defense lawyers, attracted a large number of media to the hearing.
“Good morning Mister President…
– Good morning Mister President“
It was after this exchange with the president of the Assize Court Jean-Louis Périès, which provoked some laughter in the courtroom, that François Hollande began his testimony, within the framework of the trial of the attacks of 13-November. Called to the bar at the request of the victims’ association Life for Paris, the former head of state, who was in office at the time of the attacks, first justifies his arrival by evoking “that fatal night of November 13, 2015“.
Dressed in a gray suit and a blue tie, the former President of the Republic says he wants to explain his decisions “in the months before and after” : “This testimony, I owe it to all the victims. To those who are no longer there, who want to understand, to those who have survived… I know their suffering, so I will answer all their questions.“The witness claims in particular to want”justify France’s commitment and fight against Islamism“.
This band didn’t hit us for our overseas actions
“Daesh struck us for what we represent, what we embody: a secular Republic, a country that cherishes culture, that loves sport and that does not conceive of happiness as a perversity“, believes François Hollande. And to add: “This band hit us not for our actions abroad but for our ways of life here“.
“In a democracy, to punish those responsible or the accomplices of a monstrous attack, the answer is that of right and not of revenge, concludes the former Head of State, during his introductory remarks. This is why democracy will always be stronger than barbarism. She always wins.“
“The threat is much earlier”
Questions from the court follow. The former socialist president must first return to the course of the evening of the attacks. Then present in the presidential gallery at the Stade de France on the occasion of the football match between France and Germany, he says he had confirmation of the attack with the second detonation near the sports arena. At the stadium’s security headquarters, he is then informed of the attacks targeting the terraces.
François Hollande then said to become aware of the “wingspan“attacks. After talking about securing the stadium, he recalls having “eclipsed” to go to the crisis unit, at the Ministry of the Interior. Summons of the Council of Ministers to declare a state of emergency , closing of borders, speaking to the media… After highlighting several of his decisions, he looks back on his trip to the entrance to the Bataclan: “I see people staring out, clinging to each other“.
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As for the state of the terrorist threat at the time, the former head of state explains: “The threat is much earlier, with the constitution of a cell in Syria whose objective is to prepare attacks in Europe. Islamic State spokesman says he wants to punish Westerners and ‘dirty French people’. We are mid-2014, we have not yet intervened in Iraq and of course not in Syria.“And to affirm:”Every day we were under threat, we knew that operations were being prepared… But we did not know where, how and when they were going to hit us“.
The former president also speaks about the controversy surrounding the non-use of the personnel of a brigade of the sentinel operation near the Bataclan: “I was not informed that the sentry unit was present and could intervene, but they only complied with the instructions. These are extremely delicate operations… All the orders have been translated as required.“After citing several measures concerning terrorism and security, François Hollande wonders:”Have we ever done enough?“
A testimony criticized by several defense lawyers
Then come the questions from the civil parties. As a reminder, the terrorists mentioned the name of François Hollande several times during the attack on the Bataclan, justifying, according to them, the massacre as a response to the bombardments of France in Iraq and Syria.
Asked about this, the former head of state replied: “These are formulas learned by them, a kind of refrain. What was the intention of the group that had conditioned them? Make us renounce our interventions in Iraq and Syria and attack us because we are France.“
When there is an attack, it is necessarily a failure. But how many attacks are foiled?
“The first strike will not occur until September 27. The commando had organized itself long before I decided to intervene in Syria“, started on September 7, 2015, adds François Hollande. “When there is an attack, it is necessarily a failure. But how many attacks are foiled?“, replies the former president, when Me Delas, the lawyer for LifeforParis, questions him about possibilities”holes in the services racket“of intelligence.
If the testimony of the former head of state began shortly before 4 p.m., the day of the hearing began with a long debate between the defense lawyers and those of the civil parties. On the defense side, some counsel had asked the court to oppose the testimony of François Hollande but also (among others) of political scientist Gilles Kepel, sometimes fearing “a political platform“, a “instrumentalisation“, and one “spectacle” in front of journalists, many more numerous this Wednesday than during the previous days of hearing. A request for opposition finally rejected.
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