News and Politics | November 07, 2011 | 0 comments

Carlos The Jackal is back on trial for terror attacks

Legendary international revolutionary "Carlos the Jackal" is back in the dock in Paris over four bomb attacks in the early 1980s that killed 11 people.

"Carlos", a Venezuelan whose real name is Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, is appearing before a panel of magistrates who will rule on the terrorism-related charges.

The 62-year-old is already serving a life sentence in France for the murder of two policemen in 1975.

"Carlos" was captured by French special forces in Sudan in 1994. By that time he had earned global notoriety as a mastermind of fatal bomb attacks, assassinations and hostage-takings.

His most infamous act was leading a raid in Vienna in 1975, when his group took 11 ministers of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) hostage.

The new charges he is facing relates to four deadly attacks in France in 1982 and 1983, which killed 11 people and wounded another 100.

The award-winning mini series Carlos, which screened at Cannes last year, has a brilliant website which will fill you in on all the terrible things the Jackal did during his active years.


Ilich Ramirez Sanchez was born into a wealthy Venezuelan family in 1949, and studied in Moscow before joining the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. He converted to Islam in 1975.

He is being defended in court by his French lawyer wife Isabelle Coutant-Peyre.

Ramirez denies he had anything to do with the bombings.
Last month, he told Europe 1 radio he was "in a combative mood" as he prepared for the trial. "I'm not fearful by nature... My character is suited to this kind of combat," he said.

But if found guilty, he could face another life sentence in prison.

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