Retired Maj. Gen Khaled Nezzar to Echorouk: “Swiss Court's Decision Political”

Former Defense Minister, and retired Major General Khaled Nezzar, reduces the importance of the decision of the Federal Penal Court (Switzerland), to lift his immunity, in preparation for trial in the case that was brought against him by the human rights organization “Trial”(Track Impunity Always ), and considered what was said by media on Wednesday was just an”amplification of a procedural issue”‬ ‭.

Khaled Nezzar said in phone contact Echorouk; “Some people think that the issue was resolved and that Khaled Nezar was convicted, but this is not the reality, the issue is basically procedural, there are steps and legal actions I would be making with my lawyer. The decision of the Swiss court is primarily political” .

The former Algerian Defence Minister had been arrested in Geneva, Switzerland, on October 2011, and was questioned for two days, by a federal court, on charges of “war crimes and crimes against humanity, and responsibility for enforced disappearance,” according to a complaint filed by each of the Association “Trial”Track Impunity Always”, and two ‭of the ‭activists of the Front of ‭Islamic Salvation that was banned by the Algerian authorities, and who are refugees in Switzerland.

A member of the State’s Supreme Council between 1992 and 1994, said that the decision of the Swiss court to refuse his immunity, was a prelude to his trial; “Procedures are still in their begining, and we for our part, we will take new measures to stop the resolution,” and criticized the media analysis that have addressed this issue ‭ like ‭it ended with his conviction, but he refused to give more details in the issue, under the pretext that the file ‭ ‬is still in‬ justice‭. ‬

For his part, Bonon Marc, lawyer of the former defense minister