Frankreich: Null Toleranz im Anti-Terror-Kampf

--- Die Washington Post berichtet heute über die besonders harte Linie Frankreichs im Kampf gegen den islamistischen Terror, der unter anderem dazu führt, dass zahlreiche Verdächtige jahrelang ohne Prozess eingekerkert werden: In Spain, Denmark and Britain, recently released detainees have railed in public about their treatment at Guantanamo, winning sympathy from local politicians and newspapers. In Sweden, the government has agreed to help one Guantanamo veteran sue his American captors for damages. Not so in France, where four prisoners from the U.S. naval base were arrested as soon as they arrived home in July, and haven't been heard from since. Under French law, they could remain locked up for as long as three years while authorities decide whether to put them on trial -- a legal limbo that their attorneys charge is not much different than what they faced at Guantanamo. Armed with some of the strictest anti-terrorism laws and policies in Europe, the French government has aggressively targeted Islamic radicals and other people deemed a potential terrorist threat. While other Western countries debate the proper balance between security and individual rights, France has experienced scant public dissent over tactics that would be controversial, if not illegal, in the United States and some other countries. Besonders interessant sind zwei bekannt gewordenen Fälle, in denen Terrorverdächtige aus Ländern, die selbst nicht derart strenge Inhaftierungsmöglichkeiten haben, mal flugs über Frankreich "geschleust" und dort gleich festgenommen wurden. The French anti-terrorism judge overseeing both cases is Bruguiere, an investigating magistrate who under French law is granted great prosecutorial powers, including the ability to sign search warrants, order wiretaps and interrogate suspects. Over the past decade, Bruguiere has ordered the arrests of more than 500 people on suspicion of "conspiracy in relation to terrorism," a broad charge that gives him leeway to lock up suspects while he carries out investigations. "There is no equivalent anywhere else in Europe. This provision is very, very efficient for judicial rule in tackling terrorist support networks," Bruguiere said in an interview. "Fighting terrorism is like the weather. You have high pressure zones and low pressure zones. Countries that have low pressure zones" attract terrorism.

Das sieht Bundesinnenminister Otto Schily wohl ähnlich und natürlich hätte er gern ähnliche Befugnisse für sich und seine "Anti-Terrorkampfeinheit" BKA wie sie Bruguiere und sein Team in Frankreich haben. Der rote Sheriff hält trotz Kritik an seinem Plan fest, dem Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) mehr Kompetenzen im Anti-Terror-Kampf zu geben. ... Es sei eine Schwächung des Systems im Kampf gegen den Terrorismus, wenn das Bundeskriminalamt keine präventiven Befugnisse habe, sagte Schily. Hier müsse die Verfassung entsprechend geändert werden.