An update on the court case of the 8 friends arrested for squatting an empty homeless shelter in Calais.
Today, the trial scheduled to take place at the court in Boulogne-sur-Mer was postponed until Friday, April 1. All 8 had accepted to be tried today, under the comparution immediate (fast track procedure).
Yesterday, after spending 48 hours in police custody, 3 friends were released until the trial and 5 kept in preventive detention to ensure that they would come to court. However, 3 of those in prison were not able to be transported to appear in person before the court. This was due to an apparent lack of organisation of transport from the prison to the court.
The three friends and their lawyers refused to be put on trial via video-conference, demanding to be present in court for their trial, alongside the other 5 friends. Their lawyers openly denounced the ‘inhumane and indecent’ justice of the 21st century.
Following the decision to delay the trial, the public prosecutor demanded that the three friends remain in prison until the day of trial, Friday 1st April. The lawyers refuted the demand of the public prosecutor, a demand which was completely absurd and disproportional in terms of the allegations against the three friends. They finally managed to obtain a release permit under ‘legal supervision’.
We call for support and solidarity for those on trial for trying to provide a home to those who have none.
Come to support outside of the court in Boulogne-sur-Mer at 14:00 Friday, April 1. Bring your friends, send messages of support, resist evictions and squat the lot!
[via Calais Migrant Solidarity, March 30th]
