A lawyer based in the south of the country, known for assisting defendants charged with drug trafficking, informed the court that he would be unavailable on August 1 to defend a Syrian from whom customs seized 211 kg of cannabis grass from his trailer.
Surprise at the hearing! The concerned defendant protests, and an interpreter translates: “He says he does not know this lawyer. He signed a paper, yes, but he didn’t know what it was.” With that, we are immediately put into the atmosphere.
Moreover, the man does not want this lawyer and requests that one be assigned to him. The court had planned to adjourn the case, even though in a moment of desperation the defendant says he wants to represent himself… Except that for this procedure, the assistance of a lawyer is mandatory.
You get the Olympian you can
Thus, two defendants appear. Both are Syrian, both are living in the Netherlands. One is a truck driver (the one who does not want the lawyer from the south); he was driving, while the other was a passenger. The latter entered the box crying/moaning, then calmed down but spent the hearing swaying back and forth. He is not doing well.
211 kilos of cannabis grass, even at wholesale price, is a lot of money
On the night of June 27 to 28, customs officers inspected the truck unit near Savigny-en-Revermont. The two men were returning from Spain and heading to Germany.
At the back of the trailer: two walls of cardboard filled with cannabis grass. Knowing that customs estimate the kg at 4,500 euros (at wholesale price), do the math. 211 x 4,500 is an extravagant amount. These stories of market value attached to drugs are a bit absurd.
Detention pending trial on July 1
After a customs hold and presumably police custody, the two men are brought before the public prosecutor who requests their detention pending trial. The judge of freedoms and detention (JLD) orders it: they have debts and have just lost about 1 million euros worth of merchandise.
Detention? “Very bad!”
President Verger asks how things are going for them, since they have already been incarcerated for a month. “Very bad!” the interpreter relays. “He asks for a cigarette; they don’t give him one, so he collects butts.” As for the one who is gently swaying back and forth: “He doesn’t sleep, he doesn’t eat, and if he eats, he vomits!” Has he seen a doctor? asks the president. “He can’t explain; he doesn’t know how to speak (French).”
They have “no ties in France” and face a 10-year prison sentence
The prosecutor requests their continued detention, based on the initial motivations of the JLD, adding that they have “no ties in France” and that they each face a 10-year prison sentence.
Master Andali has no arguments in favor of judicial controls but still notes that his client, the one who seems unwell, was only a passenger and therefore was not concerned with the contents of the trailer.
“Is it not possible to be released?”
The court adjourns until mid-August, ordering their continued detention to ensure their appearances before the judges. In the box, they insist: “Is it not possible to be released?” the interpreter translates. The gentleman says he is sick.” Calmly, the president specifies: “He will request a translator and to see a doctor. He has rights.”
