Jean-Charles Marchiani
Encyclopedia
Jean-Charles Marchiani, (born August 6, 1943) is a French prefect
and politician. He is also a former officer of the French external intelligence agency (DGSE).
Jean-Charles Marchiani is a counter-terrorism expert, especially focused on Islamic fundamentalism
. Marchiani has notably been the head negotiator for the liberation of French hostages in Lebanon and Bosnia.
(south-east of France), during the Algerian war.
From 1962 to 1970, he served as a DGSE officer. In 1970, he started a career in the private sector.
From 1986 to 1988 and from 1993 to 1995, Marchiani was appointed as a special advisor for Homeland Security Minister Charles Pasqua
. He was notably in charge of intelligence and counter-terrorism during the 1995 Algerian GIA terrorist attacks in Paris.
Despite official intelligence agencies efforts, diplomats Marcel Carton and Marcel Fonataine, as well as journalist Jean-Paul Kauffmann were kept prisoners for more than three years. Jean-Charles Marchiani held double negotiations with Hezbollah dignitaries in Lebanon as well as with Iran
ian and Syria
n officials. He was therefore able to free the three French nationals on May 5, 1988.
to start unofficial negotiations with Bosnian nationalists for the liberation of two French Air Force pilots whose jet had been shut down during the Nato bombings in former Yugoslavia
.
Jean-Charles Marchiani used his connections with former KGB
officers to contact Serbian president Radovan Karadžić
and threatened him to have French forces leaving Sarajevo
, where they were protecting Serbian minority.
On December 12, 1995, the two pilots were freed and sent back to France.
and Philippe de Villiers
, Jean-Charles Marchiani was one of the founding members of the RPF (Rassemblement pour la France – Union for France), a right wing party created in 1999. The RPF got 13% of the vote during 1999 European elections, and Jean-Charles Marchiani was elected as European Member of the parliament.
These cases are connected with Marchiani’s shadow’s operations and most of them are under the Secret Defense, which Jean-Charles Marchiani has asked to be lifted for a fair trial.
Jean-Charles Marchiani was sentenced in 2007 to three years in jail, but was later amnestied by French president Nicolas Sarkozy. In the mean time French Defence minister Hervé Morin
wrote to the judge in charge of the case to ask him to drop the charges against Jean-Charles Marchiani.
Prefect
Prefect is a magisterial title of varying definition....
and politician. He is also a former officer of the French external intelligence agency (DGSE).
Jean-Charles Marchiani is a counter-terrorism expert, especially focused on Islamic fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism is a term used to describe religious ideologies seen as advocating a return to the "fundamentals" of Islam: the Quran and the Sunnah. Definitions of the term vary. According to Christine L...
. Marchiani has notably been the head negotiator for the liberation of French hostages in Lebanon and Bosnia.
Intelligence and counter-terrorism
Jean-Charles Marchiani was only 19 when he was recruited by DGSE, while completing Law school in Aix-en-ProvenceAix-en-Provence
Aix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is...
(south-east of France), during the Algerian war.
From 1962 to 1970, he served as a DGSE officer. In 1970, he started a career in the private sector.
From 1986 to 1988 and from 1993 to 1995, Marchiani was appointed as a special advisor for Homeland Security Minister Charles Pasqua
Charles Pasqua
Charles Pasqua is a French businessman and Gaullist politician. He was Interior Minister from 1986 to 1988, under Jacques Chirac's cohabitation government, and also from 1993 to 1995, under the government of Edouard Balladur...
. He was notably in charge of intelligence and counter-terrorism during the 1995 Algerian GIA terrorist attacks in Paris.
Lebanon hostages crisis
Jean-Charles Marchiani became a national hero in France in 1988, when he managed to free three French civilians, held hostages for three years in Bairut by Hezbollah militias.Despite official intelligence agencies efforts, diplomats Marcel Carton and Marcel Fonataine, as well as journalist Jean-Paul Kauffmann were kept prisoners for more than three years. Jean-Charles Marchiani held double negotiations with Hezbollah dignitaries in Lebanon as well as with Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n officials. He was therefore able to free the three French nationals on May 5, 1988.
Liberation of Air Force pilots in Bosnia
Jean-Charles Marchiani was asked in September 1995 by French president Jacques ChiracJacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
to start unofficial negotiations with Bosnian nationalists for the liberation of two French Air Force pilots whose jet had been shut down during the Nato bombings in former Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
.
Jean-Charles Marchiani used his connections with former KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
officers to contact Serbian president Radovan Karadžić
Radovan Karadžic
Radovan Karadžić is a former Bosnian Serb politician. He is detained in the United Nations Detention Unit of Scheveningen, accused of war crimes committed against Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats during the Siege of Sarajevo, as well as ordering the Srebrenica massacre.Educated as a...
and threatened him to have French forces leaving Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
, where they were protecting Serbian minority.
On December 12, 1995, the two pilots were freed and sent back to France.
Appointment as prefect
Few weeks after the liberation of French pilots, Jean-Charles Marchiani was appointed in 1996 by Jacques Chirac, prefect of the Var region (South East).Political life
Along with Charles PasquaCharles Pasqua
Charles Pasqua is a French businessman and Gaullist politician. He was Interior Minister from 1986 to 1988, under Jacques Chirac's cohabitation government, and also from 1993 to 1995, under the government of Edouard Balladur...
and Philippe de Villiers
Philippe de Villiers
Viscount Philippe Le Jolis de Villiers de Saintignon, known as Philippe de Villiers, born on 25 March 1949, is a French politician. He was the Mouvement pour la France nominee for the French presidential election of 2007. He received 2.23% of the vote, putting him in sixth place. As only the top...
, Jean-Charles Marchiani was one of the founding members of the RPF (Rassemblement pour la France – Union for France), a right wing party created in 1999. The RPF got 13% of the vote during 1999 European elections, and Jean-Charles Marchiani was elected as European Member of the parliament.
Politico-judicial cases
Jean-Charles Marchiani has been involved in a serie of politico-judicial cases since the early 2000s, involving former French president Jacques Chirac.These cases are connected with Marchiani’s shadow’s operations and most of them are under the Secret Defense, which Jean-Charles Marchiani has asked to be lifted for a fair trial.
Jean-Charles Marchiani was sentenced in 2007 to three years in jail, but was later amnestied by French president Nicolas Sarkozy. In the mean time French Defence minister Hervé Morin
Hervé Morin
Hervé Morin is a French politician, leader of the New Center party and a former French Minister of Defence.-Member of National Assembly:...
wrote to the judge in charge of the case to ask him to drop the charges against Jean-Charles Marchiani.