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Thinking about it tripzilch could well be right about what happened. Speaking for myself; if MI5 (to pick an example) contacted me as a public and relatively h
by ErrantX 14y ago
Thinking about it tripzilch could well be right about what happened.
Speaking for myself; if MI5 (to pick an example) contacted me as a public and relatively high profile UK editor/sysop and asked me to come in and, say, advise them I probably would.
I keep forgetting we are reading a lot of translated text here; so "summons" might not be the right word in this context. I perhaps jumped to conclusions given the stuff that happened once he'd attended the meeting :)
- davidgerard 14y agoThe translation is being improved by lots of people, and a revised version should be up shortly.
- blahedo 14y agoThe word used in the French version is "convoquer", which is the same word used for "draft" in the military sense. I think it has a strong connotation of obligation, i.e. you can't refuse it.
- emmfr 14y agoHe was theoretically free during the questionning, and free to not comply with the demand — theoretically. The OP writes that he was threatened to be held in custody (French: "garde à vue"). This is a common trick of the French police: when people are held in custody, they have the right to an attorney and to keep silent, which the police don't like. So the police question "free" people and threaten them to hold them in custody if they don't cooperate obediently. Most people (especially good citizens) are scared of being held in custody, so the trick works quite well: people answer every single question and have no attorney, despite their right (and interest) to do otherwise. In the present case, the charges (had any been pressed — he was there as a free person) would have been akin to terrorism, which means that the custody would have been under anti-terrorism rules: a very unpleasant experience that can last up to 96 hours. So the pressure was very high, despite his being "free".
- JohnLBevan 14y agoGiven the French propensity to strike it would have been interesting to see the public's reaction had he been held on anti-terrorism laws when it's clear to all he's an innocent person and there seems little evidence of any imminent threat to justify excessive means.
- astrobe_ 14y agoHe did the right thing at minimal cost, considered how the story backfires on the "intelligence" agency. In a way I hope that the careers of the people involved in this incident are on the line now. The DCRI has a reputation to hold.