Barbie Trial -- Day 15 -- Two civil parties testify

15:57 Prosecutor Libman asks that photographs of the monument to the children of Izieu near Brégnier-Cordon, to which the witness, Mr. Robert Meriaudeau, had referred, be circulated to the jurors 16:00 President Cerdini calls a civil party, Alexandre Halaunbrenner, to testify; the civil party presents himself to the court 16:02 The witness recounts his family's arrest and internment at the Nexon, Rivesaltes, and Gurs camps; his father was separated from the family in a separate work camp; the family was liberated under surveillance in the region of Lyon, and Gestapo members came to the family's home looking for his cousin, Resistance member Joseph Halaunbrenner, who operated under the name Georges Buisson; the witness identifies Barbie as one of the Gestapo members who came to his house; they questioned his parents and brother for an entire day, and arrested his father and brother; he, his mother, and his sisters hid in a synagogue; two of his sisters were placed at Izieu, while his youngest sister went to a refuge for small children and he stayed with his mother, because she did not speak much French; his father was killed and his brother was deported; they had no news of his brother or sisters, and searched for them after the Liberation; the witness recalls seeing a photograph of Barbie in 1971, at which point he opened a case against Barbie with the help of Beate Klarsfeld; his mother traveled with Mrs. Klarsfeld to Bolivia in 1972 to aid in his extradition to France 16:18 President Cerdini asks for precision regarding the ages of his two younger sisters who were deported in the Izieu raid 16:19 Prosecutor Libman asks the jurors to look at photograph of the Halaunbrenner family in the pages of the 'Children of Izieu' brochure 16:22 President Cerdini suspends the hearing 16:53 President Cerdini resumes the hearing, calling civil party Ita Halaunbrenner to the stand 16:57 Mrs. Halaunbrenner testifies, though she is overcome with emotion 17:02 Prosecutor Libman asks the civil party why she went to La Paz, Bolivia in 1972, and she replies that it was in search of justice for Mr. Barbie 17:03 Defense attorney Vergès comments that there is documentation that proves Barbie was not in Lyon when the Halaunbrenner family was arrested, and therefore their story cannot be corroborated 17:09 The Attorney General rebuts Vergès 17:09 Prosecutor Klarsfeld tries to eliminate confusion between the timing of the arrest of Jacob Halaunbrenner, father of Alexandre and husband of Ita, and that of his nephew Joseph Halaunbrenner 17:12 Vergès calls Mr. Halaunbrenner's testimony into question, commenting that an arrest would have been carried out by the Feldgendarmerie, and that Barbie would not have been present 17:13 Prosecutor Klarsfeld comments on Mr. Halaunbrenner's identification of Barbie in 1971 17:15 Prosecutor Libman denounces Vergès tactic of diversion 17:16 Attorneys Klarsfeld, Libman, and Vergès participate in a heated exchange relating to the Halaunbrenners' identification of Barbie and of Mrs. Halaunbrenner's visit to La Paz 17:22 President Cerdini calls the next civil party, Mr. Isidore Friedler, to the stand; Mr. Friedler presents himself to the court 17:23 The civil party testifies; Mr. Friedler was living in Belgium with his extended family when the Nazis invaded in 1940; they fled for the French free zone, but he was arrested and sent to the Agde work camp before volunteering to go to Germany as a laborer; he worked in Poland as a translator before being allowed to return to France 17:27 End of tape