Henri Curiel

Henri Curiel (born the September 13rd 1914 with the Cairo (Egypt) - died with Paris the May 4th 1978), was a Communist militant, political activist and defender of the cause of the right of the people to have them-even.

An idealistic youth

Henri Curiel is a son of banker and resulting from a French-speaking Jewish family of Italian nationality profiting from the mode of the Capitulations, installed in the country since the Campagne of Egypt of the general Napoleon Bonaparte. He took the Egyptian Nationalité during the abolition of the capitulations, in spite of the fact that he did not speak the Arab Langue, and that he never usually spoke it besides.

The political action in Egypt

In 1939, it founds the democratic Union and takes part in the foundation of Amitiées Frenchwomen .

In 1943 Egyptian Movement of national release , communist organizations which, like their rivals Iskra (Hillel Schwartz) and Release of the people (Marcel Israel), were mainly directed by militants resulting from the minorities, in particular from the Jews, following the example other communist organizations in the Machrek, the Syrian PC (directed a long time by the Kurd Khalid Bagdache) or the Iraqi PC (with strong minority Shiite and Christian coloring).

It was expelled like Communist and was deprived of his Egyptian nationality by the mode of king Farouk in 1950 and then lived in France until its death.

The support of the revolutionary movements and national release

Henri Curiel wants to be an orthodoxe Communist. On its arrival in France, it contacts the French Communist party, in particular thanks to André Marty. But the relationships to a party which does not tolerate deviance compared to its standpoint quickly will be degraded. Marty falls quickly in disgrace, while Curiel is little by little isolated until becoming an official enemy of the party. The final rupture intervenes in 1952, when Curiel approves the coup d'etat which takes place in Egypt, while the party denounces a fascistic coup d'etat.

In 1957, whereas PCF votes the full powerss with Guy Mollet, Henri Curiel takes makes and causes for holding of a independent Algérie.

The war of Algeria and “carriers of bag”

It joined then the Réseau Jeanson carrying bags . Its courage and its direction of the organization make a very effective member of it. After the arrestion of Francis Jeanson in the first quarter 1960, it becomes the principal organizer of the network. At the same time, it founds the Mouvement French anticolonialist .

It is stopped in 1960 and spends eighteen months in prison to Fresnes. In spite of the decree of expulsion taken in its opposition, the decision will never be applied.

Founder of Solidarity

He sets up then Solidarité , an organization of hands-on training for all the militants of the movements of liberation struggles main road of the time.

This network is in particular financed by Algeria until the fall of Ben Bella, then by the organizations sending their militants in formation.

and of support for the movements of democratic opposition of the Third world, like South-African ANC, but also of the European dictatorships (pro-Franco Spain , Portugal salazarist, Greece of the colonels) and besides (Chile of Pinochet).

Attempts at mediation in the israélo-Palestinian conflict

Henri Curiel has many relations, both in France and abroad. Its statute of former gaullist, Egyptian Jew and its political action enable him to play a part of intermediary. It allows thus the opposition between Abraham Serfaty (Morocco) and Ilan Halévy (member of the government of the Palestinian Autorité).

It also obtains the appointment between Ben Barka and de Gaulle.

In the israélo-Palestinian conflict, he plays a role of mediator between those which want peace in the two camps. Thus it will allow many discrete meetings between persons in charge, placed sometimes high in the hierarchy.

An assassination with the turbid circumstances

Henri Curiel thus irritates many political officials.

During the year 1976, the magazine the Point is at the origin of a press campaign launched against him. The article shows it to be the chief of a support network to the international terrorism controlled by the KGB.

The DST assigns Curiel with residence, but it is quickly slackened fault of evidence.

The May 4th 1978, a commando of two men is introduced into the court of the building in which it resides street Rollin at Paris. Henri Curiel is killed with the foot of his ascencor.

The Delta commandos of OAS assert the attack. But their real responsibility is strongly called in question by the later investigations. The former police chief Lucien Aime-White however supports this thesis by affirming in his work Indic and the Police chief that Curiel would have been the victim of a commando associating Jean-Pierre Maïone-Libaude.

External bonds

Site of association Memory, Truth, Justice on the political assassinations in France, of which that of Henri Curiel

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