October 2, 1987

WORLD CITIZEN GARRY DAVIS' UPCOMING FRENCH TRIALS AT AVIGNON/CHAMBERY FOR WORLD PASSPORT ISSUANCE, POSES CHALLENGE TO PRESIDENT FRANCOIS MITTERAND
In Letter To The French President, World Citizen Garry Davis Exposes French Official Duplicity When Coping With World Passport Issuance

Washington, D.C., October 2-On the last leg of a worldwide campaign tour which included stops in Japan, Hong Kong, China, India, Egypt, Israel and Switzerland to solicit support for his candidacy for President of the U.S., World Citizen Garry Davis was jailed in France for the month of August on charges of issuing "fraudulent" passports. (See Chronology of events enclosed.)

Davis' view of the contradictions inherent in the French Government's position vis-a-vis the World Passport issuance has been sent to French President Mitterand, all heads of state and the Secretary-General of the United Nations by the presidential candidate in a letter dated October 1, 1987.

Davis points out the right under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the World Service Authority to issue passports whether or not they are recognized by any given country. He demonstrates that the validity of such documents are not established by the issuer, but by their acceptance by other sovereign nations, and on this score, the WSA passports pass the test since, while not recognized by France, they are recognize by other countries.

Davis scores the questionable justice administered to him by the French courts in view of the fact that he was subject to three trials for the same alleged offense. The first trial resulted in a guilty verdict and the second in an acquittal and yet he has been asked to appear at a third trial at Avignon on October 14, 1987 as well as an appeal trial at Chambery on December 9, 1987.(the documentation)

The former World War II bomber pilot expresses his readiness to appear at his third trial but poses for the French President a dilemma occasioned by the documentation needed for him to return to France for such an appearance.

He points out that "In order to re-enter France I would have to obtain a visa on a document officially recognized by Your Government.... Your local Consul could not issue me a visa on (the world passport) without nullifying the very charges facing me in these local courts." He further points out that by refusing a French entry on his world passport, the French Government itself would be making it impossible for him to appear for the trial hence subject to the charge of "obstructing justice."

In view of these dilemmas, Davis requests Mitterand's immediate advice on how to proceed adding that "If I do not receive an immediate reply to this letter in time to act with regard to the October 14 trial at Avignon, May I assume you have exercised your presidential powers to annul the alleged charges against me." In that case, Davis' French counsel would seek a dismissal of charges and demand the immediate return of all the seized world passports since 1972 in order to reissue them to their rightful owners.

A Committee for Support for Garry Davis of French citizens has been formed coordinated by Francois LaCroix, former editor-in-chief of Combat, Albert Camus' Paris newspaper, and a Davis organizer in 1948. The Committee held a press conference at Aix-les-Bain on September 11 to announce its plans for the upcoming French presidential elections along "mondialiste" lines. (See enclosed).