TNAG-2655-FCO40-3848-Extradition-cases-from-the-UK-and-France-to-Hong-Kong-Lorrai-1992 — Page 17

Saniman.dbj

23 December 1992

J Macgregor

Head of Chancery Paris

Dear

Joha

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HKD 384/1

Foreign & Commonwealth

Office

London SWIA 2AH

Telephone: 071-

file (141

RAIS BIN SANIMAN

1. We have been trying, with your assistance, to identify opportunities to raise the case of Saniman at an appropriate level with the French authorities in order to emphasise British Ministerial support for Hong Kong's determination to pursue their request for extradition. To recap, we asked the Attorney General to raise the matter in November when he met the Minister of Justice. He did not do so because he felt that this might jeopardize other delicate extradition business. The PUS was briefed to raise the matter during talks with the the Secretary General at the Quai D'Orsay on 7 December. PS/PUS tells me that - while the PUS would have been happy to raise it - they ran out of time and the subject was not broached.

2. I would welcome your views on where to go from here. As I understand it, the lawyers have 4 months from 12 November (the date the Summary Application was filed) to file a full submission. Do we in fact need to make our pitch during this timeframe? Or might we do better to hold our fire until after the French elections; they may throw up interlocutors more likely to listen (your letter to Peter Ricketts of 17 September). If you think that it would help the case to register continued British interest and concern, at what level should we pitch the message?

3. Going through the file, I was struck by your internal minute of 22 October about your conversation with an official at the Ministry of Justice who had told you on a strictly personal basis that the French had received information indicating that Saniman's security could not be guaranteed if he returned to Hong Kong. Do you consider that the French attitude is much influenced by this perception, or is it more a convenient smokescreen? If the former, we should be able to commission some reassurance on this from HKG.

4. In particular, do you agree that the French ought to be reassured by the extradition of Osman on 15 December? The unprecedented and notorious legal battle which Osman fought may have given the French cause for concern about returning his co-defendant, Saniman. Now that Osman is awaiting

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