Un quatrième Français condamné à mort en Irak, la France a entrepris des démarches

Suspected Isis militants wait their turn for sentencing at the counterterrorism court in Baghdad, Iraq.

Un quatrième Français a été condamné à mort lundi pour appartenance à Daesh.

Un quatrième Français a été condamné à mort lundi pour appartenance à Daesh, après trois premières condamnations dimanche. Il s’agit d’un verdict inédit pour des ressortissants français.

Il s’agit de Mustapha Merzoughi, 37 ans, condamné à mort par pendaison au terme de sa comparution à Bagdad. Le procès d’un autre Francais, Fodhil Tahar Aouidate, a lui été renvoyé au 2 juin.

Les trois premiers condamnés dimanche sont Kévin Gonot, Léonard Lopez et Salim Machou, arrêtés en Syrie par une alliance arabo-kurde anti Daesh avant d’être transférés avec neuf autres Français en Irak en février.

Selon la loi irakienne, ils ont 30 jours pour faire appel.

RELATED | Iraq sentences French citizens to death

La France a annoncé lundi avoir entrepris les "démarches nécessaires" auprès des autorités irakiennes pour leur rappeler son opposition à la peine de mort.

"La France est opposée, par principe, en tout temps et en tout lieu à la peine de mort" et l’ambassade de France en Irak "fait les démarches nécessaires auprès des autorités irakiennes pour leur rappeler cette position constante", selon le communiqué du quai d’Orsay.

Jusqu’ici, trois Français ont déjà été reconnus coupables d’avoir rejoint Daesh en Irak : Mélina Boughedir, 27 ans, Djamila Boutoutaou, 28 ans, et Lahcène Gueboudj, 58 ans, ont tous été condamnés à la prison à perpétuité, ce qui équivaut à 20 ans de détention en Irak.

Un trentenaire originaire du Lot

Kévin Gonot, 32 ans, est né à Figeac dans le sud-ouest de la France. Il a été arrêté en Syrie avec son demi-frère Thomas Collange, 31 ans, sa mère et son épouse, une nièce des frères Fabien et Jean-Michel Clain qui ont revendiqué les attentats de novembre 2015 avant d’être tués récemment en Syrie.

Kévin Gonot affirme que son père, qui avait également rejoint Daesh selon ses "aveux" publiés par la justice irakienne, a été tué à Raqa, ancienne "capitale" de Daesh en Syrie. Entré illégalement en Syrie via la Turquie selon ses dires, il a d’abord rejoint le Front al-Nosra (ex-branche d’Al-Qaïda en Syrie) avant de prêter allégeance au "calife" de l’EI Abou Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Celui qui se faisait appeler Abou Sofiane au sein de Daesh a indiqué avoir été blessé au ventre lors de la bataille de Kobané, en Syrie, en 2015. Il a assuré au juge avoir ensuite été transféré à Mossoul, la "capitale" de Daesh en Irak de 2014 à 2017 pour y être hospitalisé et non pour y combattre. En France, il a déjà été condamné en son absence à neuf ans de prison.

Un Parisien de 32 ans

Léonard Lopez, Parisien de 32 ans converti à l’islam a fait partie au début des années 2000 des plus actifs sur le site jihadiste francophone de référence d’alors, Ansar Al-Haqq. En juillet 2015, sous contrôle judiciaire pour son activité sur ce site, Léonard Lopez est parti avec sa femme et leurs deux enfants. D’abord à Mossoul, dans le nord de l’Irak, puis en Syrie, selon les enquêteurs français.

Condamné en son absence en juillet 2018 à cinq ans de prison dans le dossier Ansar al-Haqq, celui qui se faisait appeler Abou Ibrahim al-Andaloussi au sein de Daesh est sous le coup d’un mandat d’arrêt. Mais il est surtout connu des services de renseignement pour avoir cofondé l’association Sanabil, dissoute par le gouvernement français fin 2016 car elle contribuait sous couvert d’aide aux détenus à radicaliser des prisonniers.

"Tous ceux qui ont été impliqués directement ou indirectement dans les attentats depuis janvier 2015 ont été en lien direct ou indirect avec Sanabil", assurait à l’époque un enquêteur.

Un quadragénaire membre d’une "cellule de combattants"

Salim Machou, 41 ans, a appartenu à la brigade Tariq ibn Ziyad, une unité de Daesh menée par un ancien légionnaire français, Abdelilah Himich. Cette "cellule de combattants européens, vivier d’auteurs d’attaques en Irak, en Syrie et à l’étranger", a compté jusqu’à "300 membres", affirment les autorités américaines.

Salim Machou a hébergé à Raqa Jonathan Geffroy, un Français capturé en Syrie et remis à la justice française qui a fait de nombreuses révélations, notamment sur les frères Clain.

Neuf autres Français doivent encore être jugés en Irak. Il s’agit de Fodil Tahar Aouidat, Mustapha Merzoughi, Yassine Sakkam, Karam El Harchaoui, Vianney Ouraghi, Brahim Nejara, Bilel Kabaoui, Mohammed Berriri et Mourad Delhomme.

Source: Sud Ouest, Agence France-Presse, May 27, 2019

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