Paris: A French far-right activist has been
released from prison seven years after attempting to
assassinate then-President Jacques Chirac in a Bastille Day
attack, a judicial official said on Saturday.
Maxime Brunerie was convicted of attempted murder after
he pulled a rifle from a guitar case and shot at Chirac on
July 14, 2002. The attack took place during a military parade
on Paris' famed Champs-Elysees avenue. Brunerie was subdued by
onlookers as he tried to turn the weapon on himself. Chirac
was unhurt.
Brunerie, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison, was
released earlier this month but remains under judicial
supervision, the judicial official said. The official spoke on
condition of anonymity according to judicial policy.
Such early release is allowed under French rules, if
certain conditions are met.
The state attorney during his trial, Philippe Bilger,
said on France-Info radio that he thought Brunerie was looking
to rebuild his life. He added, "I simply hope that he will not
be in the same intellectual and moral state as he was before
the criminal act he committed."
Bilger said during the trial that Brunerie was in a
"borderline" mental state at the time of the attack.
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, August 22, 2009, 21:37