French judge summons former Guantanamo chief in torture probe

A French judge has summoned retired US General Geoffrey Miller, the former Guantanamo Bay prison chief, to appear in court on March 1 over allegations of torture, a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs told FRANCE 24 on Thursday.

William Bourdon, a lawyer for former Gitmo detainee Mourad Benchellali, said General Miller was due in court at 10am on March 1 to answer accusations that he oversaw Benchellali’s “illegal detention and torture”.

Bourdon said he did not expect the general to show up, noting that “top US civilian and military officials refuse to be held to account by [foreign] judges”.

Benchellali and fellow French citizen Nizar Sassi were detained at the notorious US prison from 2002 until 2004. For years they have been asking the French courts to launch legal proceedings against Miller, a now retired army general who was commander of Guantanamo Bay from 2002 to 2004.

Last April, the Paris Court of Appeal approved their request and demanded that Miller appear in court for questioning.

[link to www.france24.com]