From: ray@philmtl.philips.ca (Ray Dunn)
Newsgroups: sci.research.careers,soc.culture.canada
Subject: News of Fabrikant - 3
Date: 9 Sep 92 15:42:24 GMT
Organization: On the Brew.

The following was typed up last week off-line, but problems at philmtl
(it's dying) meant I couldn't post it till now, and I can't guarantee I'll
be able to continue posting this stuff (anyone know of a public access
usenet system in Montreal?):

Fabrikant appeared in court yesterday.  I hope this long transcription is of
interest.  If you follow-up with comments please don't quote the whole
article.  Please excuse any transcription errors.  I've not included some
paragraphs recapping the events.
 
Fabrikant appears to be using the same bullying tactics in court of warnings
of dire consequences if he doesn't get his way as he is seen doing over the
years in the published details.
 
There was also a letter to the editor today from an engineering student,
George Metrakos, who after describing the "supportive" department and people
in it, finishes with: "Upon seeing the mechanical department described as
being "corrupt" (Jack Todd's column Aug 26), I could not help but feel that
another side of the story was needed.  I hope that this will stop people
from jumping to any false conclusions about our fine institution."
 
My son is a third year mechanical engineering student at Concordia.  He
wasn't in the building last Monday thank goodness.  He felt no sense of any
of this building up over the previous semesters.
 
QUOTE
 
The Montreal Gazette, Thursday Sept 3rd 1992.
 
I was provoked into crime: Fabrikant
 
Professor admits he handled gun during Concordia shootings
 
CATHERINE BUCKIE THE GAZETTE
 
Concordia University professor Valery Fabrikant admitted in court yesterday
that he was handling a gun on Aug 24, the day of the fatal shootings at the
university, but said he was "provoked" into the crime.
 
And he warned that violence will be repeated "again and again and again" -
he didn't say by whom - if he is not allowed to tell the court his side of
the story.
 
The 52-year-old associate professor in the university's engineering and
computer-science department is facing trial on three counts of first-degree
murder, two counts of attempted murder and two counts of hostage taking as
well as uttering death threats and using a firearm in the commission of a
crime.
 
Fabrikant was arrested after a shooting spree in the university's Henry F.
Hall building 10 days ago, which resulted in the deaths of professors
Matthew Douglass, Michael Hogben and Jaan Saber.
 
He appeared in court yesterday for the first stage of a preliminary hearing,
at which the prosecution discloses its evidence against him.
 
His admission came after a simple question about his glasses.
 
Fabrikant entered the courtroom squinting and asked assistant chief
prosecutor Andre Vincent, who is handling the case, to identify himself
because he could no see him.
 
In response to a question about the whereabouts of Fabrikant's glasses,
Vincent said the police were holding them because they were found at the
scene of the crime.
 
The prosecutor agreed to return the glasses to Fabrikant if he admitted that
he was at the university and that he handled the gun.
 
Vincent: "Sir, do you admit, sir, that you were the person who was handling
the gun when the struggle happened with somebody else at Concordia?"
 
Fabrikant: "Yes."
 
Vincent: "On Aug. 24, 1992."
 
Fabrikant: "Yes, yes, there is nothing at all which I plan to deny."
 
Outside the courtroom, Vincent said Fabrikant's statements were far from an
admission of guilt, and would only say that the professor's defence will not
rest on the identity of the accused.
 
Inside, Fabrikant stressed that he was provoked into crime and attempted to
place the blame on other members of the Concordia faculty and
administration.
 
"My purpose is the truth, nothing but the truth," he told Quebec Court Judge
Micheline Corbeil-Laramee.  "And this truth will show how I was provoked
into crimes.  And this truth will show that the real criminals are Swamy and
Sankar and Osman and Sheinan and Kennif, and they have to be on trial
together with me."
 
[several paragraphs recapping the events omitted]
 
Alluding to his struggles with the university, Fabrikant told the
standing-room only courtroom: "This tragedy could and should have been
avoided.
 
"I have no intention to deny the facts.  But if you look only at what
happened on Aug. 24, this is an incomplete picture, and it will do a
disservice to society if we limit ourselves to events of Aug. 24.
 
"We have to look into the whole 12 years of me being here and unless we do
it we are bound to have a repetition of violence again and again.
 
"Violence is not being produced by itself out of nothing.  This particular
act of violence was carefully planned and nurtured and I have documents for
that."
 
Fabrikant repeated his warning about a repetition of violence when he asked
the court to improve the conditions of his detention and, in particular,
allow him access to his personal documents and those in his computer at the
university.
 
"My purpose of a trial is to present all the facts, all of them and I mean
all, and all the truth, and unless we do it we will not learn the lesson of
what happened on Aug. 24.  And if we do not learn this lesson, we're bound
to have it again and again and again."
 
The professor said he is unable to construct his defence from the confines
of the Parthenais detention centre, where he is being held, because he is
lacking a table, chair and adequate light.
 
Holding his handcuffed wrists up to the judge, Fabrikant asked: "How can I
question witnesses like this?"
 
Fabrikant dismissed the possibility of being released on bail pending his
trial, saying he assumed the prosecution had already objected to a bail
hearing.  Still, he told the court, there should be no worry of his failure
to show up for trial.
 
"I didn't try to run away.  I didn't try to hide.  I surrendered not because
I was overpowered.  I planned to surrender from the very beginning.  And
nobody can deny that, either."
 
The professor repeated earlier requests for a lawyer to assist him with
legal procedure and said he has not yet decided whether he will hire a
lawyer to represent him at trial.
 
After a lengthy discussion he agreed to return to the cells in the basement
of the courthouse, where Vincent proceeded with the disclosure of evidence. 
Such disclosures by the prosecution to the defence, are normally made
privately.
 
When Fabrikant returned to court in the afternoon he still did not have his
glasses and was sullen and silent.
 
He is scheduled to return to court Sept 17 for his preliminary hearing, but
he was given the opportunity to postpone the hearing if he or his lawyer
needs more time to prepare the case.
 
Two people wounded in the Aug 24 Concordia rampage were recovering
yesterday.
 
Phoivos Ziogas, 48, chairman of Concordia's dept of electrical and computer
engineering, remained in serious condition in the Montreal General Hospital.
 
But hospital official Joan Lamontagne said he is improving and "he is
communicating better."
 
Ziogas was shot in the abdomen.  One of his kidneys had to be removed and
doctors spent several hours repairing damage to his intestines.  Two other
bullets grazed his head but caused no serious injury.
 
Elizabeth Horwood, 66, was recovering at home after being shot in the thigh.
 
UNQUOTE.
-- 
Ray Dunn at home    |    ray@philmtl.philips.ca    |    (514) 630 3749