View source for Isabelle Coutant-Peyre

{{Short description|French lawyer (1953–2024)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Moresources|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| image                     = 
| alt                       = 
| caption                   = 
| birth_name                = 
| birth_date                = {{birth date|1953|7|5|df=y}}
| birth_place               =
| death_date                = {{death date and age|2024|4|12|1953|7|5|df=y}}
| death_place               = 
| citizenship               = France
| occupation                = Lawyer
| known_for                 = 
| partner                   = [[Ilich Ramírez Sánchez]]
| children                  = 3
}}

'''Isabelle Coutant-Peyre''' (5 July 1953 – 12 April 2024) was a French lawyer who was engaged to [[Ilich Ramírez Sánchez]], the international terrorist better known as "[[Carlos the Jackal]]".

==Life and career==
Coutant-Peyre represented [[Zacarias Moussaoui]] early on during his imprisonment, while he was awaiting trial for his role in the [[terrorist]] attacks of [[September 11 attacks|11 September 2001]].

Married to a civil servant, she had three sons; Florent, Gabriel and Aurélien.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/03/24/1079939711526.html | location=Melbourne | work=The Age | title=My love for Carlos the Jackal | date=25 March 2004}}</ref> She became a lawyer and worked with [[Jacques Vergès]], defender of [[Djamila Bouhired]] and she supported her defence of "revolutionary fighters" with income from her activities as a business lawyer.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}

In her political cases, she employed "rupture" techniques. She was briefly jailed for likening [[French National Police|French police]] to the [[Gestapo]].<ref>{{cite news| title=Une avocate jugée pour outrage aux antiterroristes. Lors du procès Chalabi, le défenseur du chef islamiste dénonçait les méthodes "gestapistes" de la police |url=http://www.liberation.fr/societe/2000/03/29/une-avocate-jugee-pour-outrage-aux-antiterroristes-lors-du-proces-chalabi-le-defenseur-du-chef-islam_319854 | newspaper=Libération | date=29 March 2000 |accessdate=15 September 2015 |language=French}}</ref><ref>[http://www.english.rfi.fr/visiting-france/20101104-carlos Carlos the Jackal's Parisian trail of destruction], english.rfi.fr. Accessed 8 November 2011.</ref>

Her former fiancé, [[Ilich Ramírez Sánchez]], known as
"[[Carlos the Jackal]]", is held at [[Clairvaux Prison]], part of the general inmate population, and their attempts to marry were frustrated by legal issues. [[Conjugal visit]]s can only be made after a civil marriage occurs; a Muslim ceremony performed in 2001, when Carlos was married to his second wife and Isabelle was married to her first husband, reportedly had no legal force.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}} 

Her clients included [[Stellio Capo Chichi]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Paris: un groupe antisémite arrêté |url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2009/10/07/01011-20091007FILWWW00575-paris-un-groupe-antisemite-arrete.php |newspaper=Le Figaro|date=7 October 2009 |accessdate=10 March 2013 |language=French}}</ref> Youssouf Fofana (murderer of [[Ilan Halimi]]),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.globalpost.com/passport/newsmaker-interview/090903/isabelle-coutant-peyre-the-radical-left |title=Isabelle Coutant Peyre: defender of last resort |last=Cherfils |first=Mildrade |date=3 September 2009 |publisher=GlobalPost |accessdate=9 March 2013}}</ref> [[Roger Garaudy]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Passé du PCF au négationnisme, Roger Garaudy est mort à l'âge de 98 ans |first=Jeremy |last=Tordjman |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i6tDSUqmsYBlnx9WzKxrSHrYdUkg |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120618041140/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i6tDSUqmsYBlnx9WzKxrSHrYdUkg |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 June 2012 |newspaper=Agence France-Presse |date=15 June 2012 |accessdate=10 March 2013 |language=French}}</ref> Mohamed Benalel Merah (father of [[Mohammed Merah]] responsible for the [[Toulouse and Montauban shootings]]),<ref>{{cite news |title=Father of Toulouse killer Mohamed Merah sues for murder |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18401787 |newspaper=BBC News |date=11 June 2012 |accessdate=10 March 2013}}</ref> [[Charles Sobhraj]],<ref>{{cite news |title=UN comes to Charles Sobhraj's rescue |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-03-11/south-asia/28058661_1_connie-jo-bronzich-charles-sobhraj-murder-of-american-tourist |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203065540/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-03-11/south-asia/28058661_1_connie-jo-bronzich-charles-sobhraj-murder-of-american-tourist |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 December 2013 |date=11 March 2009 |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |accessdate=10 March 2013}}</ref> and the [[Islamic Republic of Iran]] against the film ''[[Argo (2012 film)|Argo]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lawyer For Iran Mulling 'Argo' Suits in France, Switzerland, U.S.; Says Obama Oscar Appearance Seen As Government Strategy |url=https://deadline.com/2013/03/argo-iran-lawsuit-obama-oscars-455604/ |newspaper=Deadline London |date=18 March 2013 |access-date=2 December 2013}}</ref>

==Death==
Coutant-Peyre died on 12 April 2024, at the age of 70.<ref>{{cite news |title=La célèbre avocate Isabelle Coutant-Peyre, qui avait notamment défendu puis épousé le terroriste Carlos, est morte |url=https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/la-celebre-avocate-isabelle-coutant-peyre-qui-avait-notamment-defendu-puis-epouse-le-terroriste-carlos-est-morte-12-04-2024-DDPQUZG7QJGXDHQ7PJJXU7DAVI.php |access-date=12 April 2024 |publisher=Le Parisien}}</ref>

== Bibliography ==
* "Grand témoin : Isabelle Coutant-Peyre", in ''Hallier Edernellement vôtre'', [[Jean-Pierre Thiollet]], Neva Editions, 2019, p.&nbsp;173–188. {{ISBN|978-2-35055-273-6}}
* "In memoriam : Isabelle Coutant-Peyre", in  ''Hallier, chagrins d'amour'',  [[Jean-Pierre Thiollet]], Neva Editions, 2024, p.&nbsp;221–225. {{ISBN|978-2-35055-313-9}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/03/24/1079939711526.html Isabelle's love for Carlos the Jackal], theage.com.au. Accessed 17 April 2024.

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coutant-Peyre, Isabelle}}
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:2024 deaths]]
[[Category:Place of birth missing]]
[[Category:20th-century French women lawyers]]
[[Category:21st-century French women lawyers]]
[[Category:20th-century French lawyers]]
[[Category:21st-century French lawyers]]

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