Barbie’s Lawyer Denies That the Ex Gestapo Chief Will Try to Get a Pardon on Medical Grounds

Klaus Barbie’s court appointed lawyer, Etienne de la Servette, angrily denied today that the Nazi war criminal will attempt to obtain a pardon or Presidential grace on medical grounds. De la Servette, referring to some newspaper reports published today, said “such rumors are baseless.”

The papers had said Barbie’s daughter, Mrs. Ute Messner, would try to obtain a pardon. Dela Servette retorted that “such rumours only provoke hate against an innocent woman whose only fault is to have Barbie as her father.”

Barbie, who underwent surgery last Sunday for an intestinal obstruction, was reported to be recovering “as well as can be expected.” His surgeon. Dr. Roger Lombard-Platet, said today “he obviously has a strong constitution for a 69-year-old man.”

Barbie was expelled from Bolivia on February 5 and turned over to French authorities. He is awaiting trial on a charge of “crimes against humanity” for his war-time activities while serving as gestapo chief for Lyon in 1942-44.

The investigating magistrate’s office said today that the preliminary hearings will have to be postponed until Barbie leaves the hospital and returns to his prison cell at Lyon’s St. Joseph’s high security jail. He is convalescing at the Edouard Henriot Medical facility, where he is expected to remain for two weeks Special security precautions have been taken to prevent an attack against him or a suicide attempt.

REPORT BARBIE FREED BOURGIBA FROM PRISON

Meanwhile, the semi-official Tunisian daily, L’Avenir, reported today that President Habib Bourgiba was freed from a Lyon prison by Barbie on December 16, 1942. Bourgiba, who had been imprisoned at the time by the French for leading the Tunisian independence movement, was held at the city’s Montluc prison where most French resistance fighters were detained by the Germans.

The Tunisian daily said Barbie visited Bourgiba in his prison cell to inform him that “the Fuehrer has decreed your liberation and has permitted your return to Tunisia.” Bourgiba was quoted as saying that he clearly understood at the time that the Nazis wanted him free in order to help the Axis war effort and Italy’s own ambitions in his country.

L’Avenir stated that Bourgiba turned down all Nazi and Italian offers for help and immediately after his return to Tunis in April 1943 contacted the Free French movement in London headed by Gen. Charles de Gaulle. The paper quoted Bourgiba as having told the Allies at the time: “The enemies of our enemies are not necessarily our friends.” France was considered the enemy at the time by the Tunisian organizations fighting for their country’s independence.