Bin Laden book banned
From AFP
December 31, 2001
A FRENCH book about Osama bin Laden, called The Forbidden Truth,
had been banned in Switzerland at the request of one of bin
Laden's half
brothers, Yeslam Binladin, his lawyer, Jurg Brand, said.
Binladin is claiming 20 million Swiss francs ($23.73
million) in damages for defamation from the co-authors,
Jean-Charles Brisard and Guillaume Dasquie, and the
publishers of the book, Guy Birenbaum and Olivier
Rubinstein of Denoel publishing house.
He claims the book falsely says he was closely linked
to the man blamed by the United States for the
September 11 attacks on New York and Washington.
The German translation of the book, which was due to
be published in Switzerland in the next few days, has
also been banned.
Binladin has lived in Switzerland for about 20 years
and has held a Swiss passport for nearly a year.
Brand said further legal action was planned in Switzerland.
A complaint has also been lodged against the French website
www.intelligenceonline.fr for promoting the book. The disputed
book's
co-author, Dasquie, is the editor in chief of the website.
Binladin says he has not had any contact with his half brother for
a number
of years.
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