UNCLAS PARIS 001610

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER FR
SUBJECT: FRENCH RELEASE 1 OF 3 EX-GTMO DETAINEES
REPATRIATED MARCH 7

REF: STATE 34902


1. (U) According to press reports, the GOF released Mustaq
Ali Patel in the evening of March 9 after questioning him for
two days. Patel was one of three French citizens previously
held in Guantanamo (GTMO) and transferred to French custody
on March 7. The other two ex-GTMO detainees, Ridouane Khalid
and Khaled Ben Mustafa, remain in detention. According to
French law, they can remain in detention for 96 hours before
charges must be filed. A decision on whether to file charges
against Khalid and Ben Mustafa will likely occur by Friday,
March 11.


2. (SBU) Comment: The decision to release Patel was expected,
given that he no longer was considered by the USG to be an
enemy combatant (reftel) and the French had consistently told
us that they had no derogatory information against him.
Regarding Khalid and Ben Mustafa, a decision to charge them
with "terrorist conspiracy" is possible, indeed likely. If
charged and successfully sent to pretrial detention, Khalid
and Ben Mustafa will join the other four French ex-GTMO
detainees in prison and currently awaiting trial. Judicial
sources have told us that all six ex-GTMO detainees may be
tried together. End comment.
Leach