Rights, Such wellPaul Sarire, Simone de Guerin are among the Thice of the profess, Michel Trouilleux, an desties 3, Serge Devaux, a forrorker and Alain Herve, a tochnician, have boca eld in the central prison at Rennes, in northwestern France, since 20 October They are changed by the military with cities with "inciting disobe ence among soldiers and hurting the morale of the troops copies the Crosst en lAir, of a petition on behalf of a drafice at Vanne who was struck by a nonned officer, then put under orders FOUR DAYS OF CRISIS BETWEEN not to protest this mistreatment.
The fourth prisoner, the soldier Divet, is being held at Landan, West Germany, A pamphlet wis found in his possession entitled. "It's Only Sational Committee ostre Release of the National Commitler for.tf Imprisoned Soldiers has been formed, with chapters troughout France. To date it has prinled 50,000 posters and more than 200,000 leaflets explaining the case.
Antappeal on behalf of Devaux, Trouillets, Horve, and Diver was announced on 15 January. The initial signers included Jean-Paul Sartre, de Beauvoir, Dr. Marcel-Francis Kahn, Dr. L-M. Krivine, Marguerite Duras, Daniel Guerin, Aime Celaire, Claude Bourder, Pierre Frank, Brochier magazine, Alain Krivine, JeanPierse Vigier, Marguerite Bonnet. and Annie Le Brin army. Near Souilehn, some twelve miles from "In rejecting the regimentation, the bullying. and the repression which reigus in the army. the appeal said, "Devanx and his comrades have expressed the opinion of teas of thousands of other soldiers "In struggling so that the soldiers in the ranks may enjoy the same rights as all other citizens. Devaux and his comrades ate struggling fur the thousands of workers, peasants, and students who refuse to be transformed, for sixteen months of their lives, into docile sheep of a despotic hierarchy."
The signers demanded the immediate release of the prisoners, and called on others to sigh the appeal The four soldiers are to be tried by military courts, and face up to two years in prison if convicted. The trial at Rennes is said to be scheduled for the beginning of February.
One demand by the Cormitter for the Re lease of the Imprisoned Soldiers is that the de fendants be granted the status of political priso ners. Thus far the military has refused, but the three prisoners at Rennes June threatened to gr on a hunger strike if thoir request is not granted According to the January 19 issue of the Paris revolutinnary-socialist weekly Rouge, the army has edablished wockly commissions of itquiry to pry into the political beliefs of other soidiers, with the threat of further prosecutions More than twenty draftees have boon interroga ted in Rennes, Meaux, Tours, and Maizig The Cormitice for the Releas of the Im prisoned Soldiers bar asked that statements of support be sent to Dr. Marcel-Francis Kahr 15, rue Cler, Pars 3, France