press release: Press Release from the Collective to Support Ahmed

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17.Sep.02 - Ahmed Meguini, who has been incarcerated in the Elsau Jail in Strasbourg since July 26 2002, had a hearing on Tuesday, September 17, in front of the Appeals Court in Colmar, for his third request for release from pretrial detention, which was rejected once again, even though he presented every possible guarantee that he would appear for trial (proof of residence, proof of work, pledges from friends and family...).

Eleven of his friends who had come to support him were welcomed by an inordinate police presence around the courthouse (fifteen police vans) and were obliged to leave identity cards at the entrance. Even Ahmed's mother herself was subjected to this control.

Ahmed exemplifies the repressive judiciary persecution that has been targeting the participants of the No Border camp. The attorney general began his argument by calling the participants and "organized group" aimed at "urban guerrilla warfare"! He denounced the actions of which Ahmed is accused, as being extremely serious; however, Ahmed has always denied these accusations.

The judicial authorities do wish to see Ahmed arrive in handcuffs at his sentencing appeal, on October 8 at 8 a.m., at the Colmar appeals court; the prosecutor himself had made this sentencing appeal, as he felt that Ahmed's sentence was not stiff enough, despite the fact that Ahmed was condemned in the face of numerous prosecutorial inconsistencies and procedural errors.

We denounce the juducial persecution that Ahmed has been subjected to since his arrest and we demand his release. We demand an immediate halt to all prosecutions against people from the Strasbourg Collective to Support Ahmed since the occupation of hte Ministry of Justice district office in Strasbourg. We demand an immediate halt to all prosecutions engaged against participants of the NO BORDER camp.

We will not be terrorized.

Collective to Support Ahmed