Simon Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations on Trial for His Denunciation of the Financing of Terrorism

January 12, 2006

CENTRE SIMON WIESENTHAL - SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTRE
64 avenue Marceau - 75008 Paris
Tel: +33(0)147237637 - Fax: +33(0)147208401

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Simon Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations on Trial for
His Denunciation of the Financing of Terrorism

Paris

French investigating magistrate, Nathalie Turquey, yesterday interrogated
the Director for International Affairs of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, Dr.
Shimon Samuels, on a charge of defamation brought by the Comité de
Bienfaisance et de Secours aux Palestiniens (CBSP - Committee for Welfare
and Aid to the Palestinians).

The CBSP accuses Samuels of claiming that it contributes to the financing
of terrorism and participates in fund-raising for the families of Hamas
suicide terrorists.

The Wiesenthal Centre, well known for its work to promote tolerance,
advised the French authorities that certain recipients of CBSP monies from
humanitarian donations incite to hatred and encourage terrorist attacks
against civilian populations. The CBSP declared it had raised over 4
million euro in France in the year 2003 (5 million dollars at the
prevailing exchange rate).

This outrageous suit by the CBSP will permit the Wiesenthal Centre to
publicly demonstrate the veracity of the CBSP's contribution to groups
linked to terrorism.

Furthermore, the German, Dutch and Danish authorities have already taken
measures against the counterparts of CBSP in their countries for financing
associations close to Hamas. This was consonant with the inclusion of Hamas
by the European Union in its list of terrorist organizations. Though a
French organisation, the United States State Department has classified CBSP
as a terrorist organisation, and frozen its assets on 22 August 2003.

The Simon Wiesenthal Centre is an international human rights organization,
established in 1977, with headquarters in Los Angeles, and a worldwide
membership of 440,000. Drawing the lessons of the Holocaust to the analysis
of contemporary prejudice and discrimination, the Centre is an NGO in
Consultative Status to the United Nations, UNESCO, the Council of Europe,
and the Organisation of American States.

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Member of Nazi-hunting centre probed for defamation
Agence France-Presse

January 12, 2006

A member of the Nazi-hunting Wiesenthal Centre, Shimon Samuels, is being sued for defamation after accusing a French-based group of financing Palestinian militants, he said in a statement on Thursday.

The Committee for Charity and Support for the Palestinians (CBSP) filed suit in Paris against Samuels, the centre's head of international relations, after he claimed that it sent funds to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers.

"This legal action by the CBSP will allow the Simon Wiesenthal centre to publicly demonstrate the truth about its contribution to groups linked to terrorism," Samuels said.

In March, Israel also accused the CBSP of supporting the Palestinian radical group Hamas by transferring funds to the families of people killed by the Israeli military or during anti-Israeli attacks.

The CBSP dismissed the charges as "ridiculous", saying it worked to support 3,000 Palestinian orphans.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center, which has its European headquarters in Paris, described itself as  Ahuman rights group dedicated to preserving the memory of the Holocaust by fostering tolerance and understanding.

The organisation is named after Simon Wiesenthal, an Austrian Jew who lost many family members in the Holocaust, and later dedicated most of his life to tracking down fugitive Nazis to bring them to justice.

 

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CENTRE SIMON WIESENTHAL - SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTRE
64 avenue Marceau - 75008 Paris
Tel: +33(0)147237637 - Fax: +33(0)147208401

Pour diffusion immédiate

Procès annoncé contre le Directeur des relations internationales du Centre
Simon Wiesenthal pour dénonciation du financement du terrorisme

Paris, le 12 janvier 2006

Sur plainte avec constitution de partie civile du Comité de Bienfaisance et
de Secours aux Palestiniens (CBSP), le Juge d'instruction, Madame Nathalie
Turquey, a mis en examen pour diffamation, le 11 janvier, le directeur des
relations internationales du Centre Simon Wiesenthal, M. Shimon Samuels.

La plainte lui reproche d'avoir dit que le CBSP contribue au financement du
terrorisme et participe à la collecte des fonds pour les familles des
terroristes suicides du Hamas.

Le Centre Simon Wiesenthal, qui mène un combat bien connu pour la promotion
de la tolérance, a averti les autorités françaises que certains
bénéficiaires de fonds du CBSP, provenant de leur collecte humanitaire,
incitent à la haine et promeuvent des attentats contre les populations
civiles. Le CBSP a déclaré avoir collecté plus de 4 millions d'euros en
France en 2003.

Cette action judiciaire abusive du CBSP permettra au Centre Simon
Wiesenthal de faire la démonstration publique de la véracité de cet apport
aux groupes liés au terrorisme.

D'ailleurs, les autorités allemandes, néerlandaises et danoises ont déjà
été amenées à prendre des mesures contre les organismes homologues du CBSP
dans leur pays, pour avoir financé des associations proches du Hamas. Cela
s'inscrit dans le prolongement de l'inclusion par l'Union européenne du
Hamas dans sa liste des organisations terroristes. Le CBSP est une
organisation française qualifiée par le Département d'Etat des Etats-Unis
d'organisation terroriste, ce qui l'a conduit à geler ses avoirs le 22 août
2003.

Le Centre Simon Wiesenthal, comportant 440.000 adhérents, est une
organisation internationale qui lutte pour les droits de l'homme. Fondé en
1977 à Los Angeles, où se trouve son siège, il tire des leçons de
l'holocauste pour combattre les discriminations contemporaines. Le Centre
est une ONG avec statut consultatif auprès des Nations Unies, de l'UNESCO,
du Conseil de l'Europe et de l'Organisation des Etats Américains.