RESTRICTED
FM PARIS
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 968
OF 301743Z OCTOBER 92
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
RAIS BIN SANIMAN
RESTRICTED
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384/1 please
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114
006740
MDLIAN 1879
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Mr Woodrow
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SUMMARY
1.
RECOMMENDATION THAT THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL TOUCH BRIEFLY ON THE SANIMAN CASE WITH THE FRENCH MINISTER OF JUSTICE DURING THEIR PLANNED MEETING ON 20 NOVEMBER.
DETAIL
2.
THE LAWYER OF THE CONSEIL D'ETAT REPRESENTING HONG KONG IN THE SANIMAN AFFAIR SEES ADVANTAGE IN A WEIGHTY POLITICAL APPROACH IN PARALLEL TO HER LEGAL ACTION WITH THE CONSEIL D'ETAT. ALTHOUGH WE ARE DOUBTFUL WHETHER THIS COULD PRODUCE AN EARLY REVERSAL OF THE EARLIER FRENCH GOVERNMENT DECISION, IT WILL USEFULLY UNDERMINE L BRITISH MINISTERIAL DETERMINATION TO EXHAUST ALL THE POSSIBLE LINES ? OF APPEAL AND THEREBY MAXIMUM ON THE FRENCH TO RETHINK.
3. WE WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THAT THE HOME SECRETARY GET INVOLVED. HIS NORMAL FRENCH INTERLOCUTOR IS THE MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR, WHOSE MINISTRY DOES NOT HAVE A DIRECT ROLE IN EXTRADITION CASES. IN ANY CASE THE TWO MET ON 26 OCTOBER, AND IT MIGHT SEEM A LITTLE ODD FOR THE HOME SECRETARY TO WRITE OR TELEPHONE OUT OF THE BLUE WHEN THERE WAS NO HINT OF A PROBLEM DURING A CONVERSATION WHICH TOOK PLACE ONLY THREE DAYS AGO.
понимали
4.
HOWEVER, THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL IS INTENDING TO VISIT PARIS ON 18-20 NOVEMBER, AND A MEETING WITH THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE (WHO DOES HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR EXTRADITION MATTERS) IS PLANNED FOR 20 NOVEMBER. WE HAVE ALREADY ALERTED THE MINISTER THAT THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL WILL BE RAISING THE ALI AKBAR EXTRADITION CASE. ALTHOUGH CARE WILL HAVE TO BE TAKEN TO KEEP THE TWO CASES DISTINCT (THEY ARE OF A DIFFERENT CHARACTER ON AKBAR WE ARE COMPETING WITH
THE
THE AMERICANS FOR HIS EXTRADITION, AND NO DECISION HAS YET BEEN TAKEN: ON SANIMAN THE DECISION WAS TAKEN IN MARCH AND WE ARE
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