Accused and wanted for rape in Mongolia, the soldier joined the legion in Aveyron

La cour d'appel de Montpellier doit valider ou non l'extradition du militaire. Midi Libre – GIACOMO ITALIANO

Les autorités Mongoles ont retrouvé la trace du légionnaire âgé de 28 ans, engagé en Aveyron, et qui aurait mis enceinte une jeune fille de 12 ans dans son pays.

According to our information, ten months after his engagement in the Foreign Legion, in the Cavalry (Aveyron), a 28-year-old Mongolian was arrested by the French authorities following a request from the French authorities. Ulaanbaatar, the capital of this East Asian country, located between China and Russia.

Mid-June, he was placed under extradition arrest, at the Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone remand center (Hérault), wanted for criminal acts: he is suspected of rape of his partner's sister, in 2022, when she was only 12 years old.

The victim had become pregnant and DNA tests established the paternity of the young soldier. Who, facing 15 years of criminal imprisonment, placed under judicial supervision, then decided to s  rsquo;flee, passing through China before finding himself, at the end of his journey, in France. The Mongolian authorities allegedly found him thanks to invoices paid on the internet, in particular plane tickets.

The question of extradition under debate

What will his future hold? ? This was the heart of the discussions that took place on Tuesday in the investigating chamber of the Montpellier Court of Appeal. The court must rule on July 19 on whether or not to approve the Mongolian authorities' extradition request: the alleged events took place in Asia and he is not French.

While there is no agreement between the two countries, the public prosecutor's office has been in favor.

“DNA tests showed that the girl was pregnant with his child and there is no evidence that there was mistreatment in that country” justifies the attorney general Philippe Vermeil, recalling moreover that Mongolia decided to abolish the death penalty in 2015, effective in 2017.

At first opposed to his extradition, the legionnaire finally changed his mind before the court of appeal. To the surprise of her lawyer, who nevertheless requested additional information.

“We must ensure that the rights of the defense are guaranteed, several reports such as that of the United Nations speak in particular of cases of forced confessions”, recalls Me Jeanne Mercoiret.

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