Charge Of Treason In N.A.T.O. Case

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32068, 16 August 1969, Page 19

Charge Of Treason In N.A.T.O. Case

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) PARIS, Aug. 14. A 40-year-old Frenchman was charged with treason in Paris yesterday, accused of spying at the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation headquarters in Brussels. The Frenchman, Francis Roussllhe, faces the death penalty. When being charged by an examining magistrate at the State Security Court, he was described as a librarian. But informed sources in Faris said that he had worked at N.A.T.O. headquarters as a translator. The sources said that Roussilhe. who is the father of three children, was accused of copying s large number of secret N.A.T.O. documents for an Eastern European country. He was alleged to have received large sums of money and photo-copying equipment to help his work, the sources said. They said that Roussllhe, who started working for N.A.T.O. in 1952 was arrested by Belgian police early last week as he left the office carrying classified documents. Strict Secrecy After being brought to Paris, Roussllhe was questioned under strict secrecy by French counter-espionage agents. The official secrecy continued today when no details of bis alleged spying were given out at the hearing in front of the examining magistrate. The State Security Court which will try him, normally holds its hearings in secret Informed sources said that in his position at N.A.T.O. Roussllhe had been able to

get access to many documents, including some dealing with European defence, N.A.T.O. bases, the alliance’s troop strength and N.A.T.O. coun--1 cil discussions on the inter- ■ national situation. r Under French law, FrenchI men who spy on N.A.T.O. ' countries are liable to the 1 same penalties as those who . spy on France. Although France has withs drawn from N.A.T.O.’s inte--1 grated military structure, 1 Frenchmen still work at the e N.A.T.O. headquarters in Belt, gium. Roussilhe was given the a most serious charge possible, j being accused of treason s rather than the milder charge of contact with foreign agents, which carries a maximum f sentence of 20 years. 1 This backed up remarks by f officials in Paris that the case r was a serious one. The evening newspaper, “France Soir,” said yesterday y that it was the most serious t spying affair in N.A.T.O. s since 1963 when another Frenchman, Georges Paques, i, was found to have handed r over Important secrets to the 1 Soviet Union. t