The diplomat Hasseni enjoys a nonsuit in the case Mecili
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The Algerian diplomat Mohamed Ziane Hasseni received Tuesday a dismissal issued by the French justice in the investigation into the assassination in Paris in 1987 of the opponent Ali Mecili, a case that has poisoned relations between Paris and Algiers.
- The investigating chamber of the Cour d'appel de Paris granted the request for nonsuit filed by the senior diplomat and supported by the Paris court.
Over twenty years after the assassination of Algerian lawyer in central Paris, this case had rebounded with the inquiry in Marseille (South East) August 14, 2008 by Mr. Hasseni, Chief of Protocol of Algerian ministry of Foreign Affairs which was endorsed by an international arrest warrant.
"The accusation chamber has granted a non-suit to M. Hasseni, he is no more concerned with this matter," welcomed his lawyer, Jean-Louis Pelletier. The widow of Ali Mecili however, could bring an appeal in cassation, according to her lawyer, Antoine Comte.
Mr. Hasseni, who said since his arrest to be victim of a homonym, was designated by a former officer of the Algerian secret services, Mohamed Samraoui who fled to Germany as the sponsor for the murder of Ali Mecili, a lawyer of 47 exiled in France since 1965.
A mission order found during a search on the alleged killer, Abdelmalek Amellou, was signed by a certain Captain Rachid Hassani. Samraoui claimed that the captain Hassani, sponsor of the supposed murder was none other than Mr. Hasseni.
The diplomat had been indicted (charged) for complicity in murder and placed under judicial control which has a set time to stay in France.
But Mr. Samraoui partly retracted his statements during a confrontation with Mr. Hasseni organized June 4, 2009 by videoconference.
The accusation chamber has also partly motivated his decision by the "evolutive" statements of Mr. Samraoui. A handwriting analysis conducted on the order signed "Captain Hassani" has also "exonerated" Mr. Hasseni, according to the ruling of the appellate court.
"The innocence of Mr. Hasseni is obvious for a long time, he was covered by a false accusation," responded another of his lawyers, Hervé Témime.
The case, which had suddenly resurfaced in August 2008 with the arrest of Mr. Hasseni, has since contaminated the Franco-Algerian relations.
The Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was convened in early April and the Ambassador of France in Algiers, Xavier Driencourt, to express "the great surprise and deep concern" in Algiers following the refusal of French judges to give rise to non-suit to the Algerian diplomat.
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