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Carlos the Jackal Trial Opens in Paris


Convicted Venezuelan terrorist Illich Ramirez Sanchez, aka "Carlos" waits at Paris Court House prior his questioning by German prosecutors about the involvement of a former comrade-in-arms in the bloody attack on an OPEC conference in Vienna in 1975. (Fil
Convicted Venezuelan terrorist Illich Ramirez Sanchez, aka "Carlos" waits at Paris Court House prior his questioning by German prosecutors about the involvement of a former comrade-in-arms in the bloody attack on an OPEC conference in Vienna in 1975. (Fil

The trial for the convicted murderer known as Carlos the Jackal opened in Paris Monday, this time for alleged involvement in a series of bombings in France in the early 1980s.

The terrorist attacks on two trains and a newspaper office in 1982 and 1983 killed 11 people and wounded at least 140. A verdict is expected in mid-December.

Carlos the Jackal's real name is Ilich Ramirez Sanchez.

Prosecutors uncovered what they say is evidence of his guilt in communist archives in Hungary and the former East Germany. Ramirez says he is innocent.

The 62-year-old Venezuelan is already serving a sentence of life in prison for killing two French policemen and an informant in 1975.

Newspapers dubbed him Carlos the Jackal after police found a copy of the thriller novel Day of the Jackal in one of his hideouts.

He first made world headlines in 1975 when he and a group of gunmen burst into an OPEC meeting in Vienna and took 11 oil ministers hostage.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.

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