Trial of 21 defendants including two French for an alleged coup

The trial of 21 individuals accused of wanting to overthrow and assassinate the President of Madagascar Andry Rajoelina opened on Monday. At the Anosy court, in the capital Antananarivo, the public prosecutor spent a good part of the morning reading the indictment, in front of the accused seated on the right of the room, including two French: Paul Rafanoharana and Philippe Francois. The first is smiling in a midnight blue suit, a close-shaven head and dark glasses, the second visibly thinner, blue eyes and drawn features, in a white shirt.

The police force is impressive: about sixty gendarmes from the special forces and police officers crisscross the room with the yellow walls withered. Some are in civilian clothes and carry assault rifles.

“It’s an unfair trial”

The defendants in this case, which the Malagasy justice baptized “Apollo 21”, are being prosecuted for endangering state security, criminal association and conspiracy to assassinate the president. They would have “devised a plan for the elimination and neutralization of various Malagasy personalities, including the head of state”, according to the general prosecutor.

Since their arrest at the end of July, some of the accused have been placed under judicial supervision, others, including the two French, in prison under a committal warrant. “It’s an unfair trial,” said Arlette Rafanomadio, lawyer for Paul Rafanoharana, on Saturday. We did not have enough time to prepare the defense strategy, with difficult access to our clients. “Or 30 minutes Friday to discuss the 400 pages of the file,” she said.

A former colonel of the French army

Paul Rafanoharana, a Franco-Malagasy, knows President Rajoelina well, of whom he was diplomatic adviser until 2011. He presents himself, on the Internet, as an adviser to the archbishopric of Antananarivo who has distanced himself, claiming not to be “responsible for people using their name without an express mandate”. Philippe François, former Saint-Cyrien and colonel of the French army until 2013, ran an investment company in Madagascar.

The press were allowed to attend the public hearing from a balcony but no recording, photo or video was allowed on pain of prosecution, the prosecutor warned.