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Alleged jihadists allowed to pass into France unchecked through airport Alleged jihadis allowed back into France after passport control glitch
(35 minutes later)
France’s interior minister has demanded an inquiry into how police apparently “lost” three suspected jihadist fighters when they returned to France on a flight from Turkey. France’s interior minister has demanded an inquiry into how police apparently “lost” three suspected jihadi fighters when they returned to France on a flight from Turkey.
The men were supposed to have been arrested after arriving at Orly airport, Paris, but instead were switched on to a flight to Marseilles where a glitch in the airport computers meant they walked through passport control without being stopped. The men were supposed to have been arrested after arriving at Orly airport, Paris, but instead were switched on to a flight to Marseille where a glitch in the airport computers meant they walked through passport control without being stopped.
The men are alleged to have fought with Islamic State (Isis) in Syria. One of them is the brother-in-law of Mohamed Merah, who killed seven people, including a rabbi and three Jewish children, in March 2012.The men are alleged to have fought with Islamic State (Isis) in Syria. One of them is the brother-in-law of Mohamed Merah, who killed seven people, including a rabbi and three Jewish children, in March 2012.
The fiasco ended on Wednesday morning when, on the advice of their lawyers, the men, who had rented a car at Marseilles airport, drove themselves to a police station and handed themselves in. The fiasco ended on Wednesday morning when, on the advice of their lawyers, the men, who had rented a car at Marseille airport, drove to a police station and handed themselves in.
One of their lawyers told journalists: “Our clients have said from the beginning that they wish to explain themselves to the police and the court ... we have advised them it is the best thing to do.”One of their lawyers told journalists: “Our clients have said from the beginning that they wish to explain themselves to the police and the court ... we have advised them it is the best thing to do.”
The three handed themselves in at the gendarmerie at Caylar, a small village with a population of 446 in Hérault, Languedoc-Roussillon, on route from Marseilles to Toulouse, their home city. They were said to have used the internal phone at the police station to begin to explain their appearance. The three handed themselves in at the gendarmerie at Caylar, a small village with a population of 446 in Hérault, Languedoc-Roussillon, en route from Marseilles to Toulouse, their home city. They were said to have used the internal phone at the police station to explain their appearance.
The three include Abdelouahab El Baghdad, 29, who is married to Merah’s sister Souad, who is also believed to have travelled to Syria with their children. There was also Imad Djebali, one of Merah’s childhood friends, and Gael Maurize, suspected of belonging to another Islamist network dismantled by police this summer. The three included Abdelouahab El Baghdad, 29, the husband of Merah’s sister Souad, who is also believed to have travelled to Syria with their children. There was also Imad Djebali, one of Merah’s childhood friends, and Gael Maurize, suspected of belonging to another Islamist network dismantled by police this summer.
The men are now being questioned about their links to Isis. They are believed to have spend several months with the movement’s forces.The men are now being questioned about their links to Isis. They are believed to have spend several months with the movement’s forces.
The men were arrested by Turkish police in August at the Turkish-Syrian border and were due to be expelled on Tuesday on an Air France flight to Paris. However, the commander of the civil flight reportedly refused to let them board and they were transferred to a later plane going to Marseilles. The men were arrested by Turkish police in August at the Turkish-Syrian border and were due to be expelled on Tuesday on an Air France flight to Paris. However, the commander of the civil flight reportedly refused to let them board and they were transferred to a later plane going to Marseille.
Pierre Dunac, one of the men’s lawyers, told Le Monde they had “returned to France in the afternoon and were free to go wherever”.Pierre Dunac, one of the men’s lawyers, told Le Monde they had “returned to France in the afternoon and were free to go wherever”.
Later, French investigators said the Turkish authorities had not informed them of the change of flight.Later, French investigators said the Turkish authorities had not informed them of the change of flight.
Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French defence minister, accused the Turks of being to blame for the “huge blunder”, but admitted that the computers used by immigration officers at Marseilles were “broken down” when the men arrived at the airport and so passed through passport control without being stopped. Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French defence minister, accused the Turks of being to blame for the “huge blunder”, but admitted that the computers used by immigration officers at Marseille had not been working when the men arrived at the airport and so they passed through passport control without being stopped.
Bernard Cazeneuve, the interior minister, said he wanted to know why members of the Direction Générale de la Sécurité Intérieure (DGSI) were not waiting to arrest the men. Ministry officials said they had not been told by their Turkish counterparts that the men had switched flights.Bernard Cazeneuve, the interior minister, said he wanted to know why members of the Direction Générale de la Sécurité Intérieure (DGSI) were not waiting to arrest the men. Ministry officials said they had not been told by their Turkish counterparts that the men had switched flights.
“This misunderstanding between the Turkish [secret] services and the French, needs to be looked at in depth by both the French and the Turkish authorities so that this doesn’t happen again,” Cazeneuve said, adding that he wanted answers as soon as possible.“This misunderstanding between the Turkish [secret] services and the French, needs to be looked at in depth by both the French and the Turkish authorities so that this doesn’t happen again,” Cazeneuve said, adding that he wanted answers as soon as possible.