LANGKAWI – A group of French nationals and their Malaysian friends are appealing for the release of a Frenchwoman and her three children who are being detained at the Belantik Immigration Detention Centre in Sik, Kedah, on compassionate grounds.
Spokesman Amor Adjal reached out to The Vibes after issuing the plea to Langkawi MP Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Adjal said he was worried that Leonie Bardet, 42, who is pregnant, may fall ill. He also said help from the French embassy has been less than forthcoming.
Bardet’s ordeal began about a week ago, when she and her children were detained by police together with her live-in companion Rémy Daillet-Wiedeman, a Frenchman believed to be a lead figure in conspiracy circles and wanted for the kidnapping of an 8-year-old girl in France.
Daillet-Wiedeman has reportedly been living illegally in Malaysia for several years.
Sources said the 54-year-old was arrested at his home in Ulu Melaka, Langkawi, over his residency status, and may be expelled. Authorities could also use a warrant, which entails a far lengthier procedure.
He was reportedly a politician who left France after getting frustrated with the situation back home, and has been living in Langkawi for the past several years, with some expatriates admitting to having met him.
Daillet-Wiedeman is said to have invested in a plastic recycling business in Langkawi and used wide online resources to influence the French kidnappers.
He may be expelled or escorted back to France by Interpol officials.
Adjal said the issue has become complicated as French authorities are looking for Daillet-Wiedeman, and not Bardet, who is not listed as a suspect.
We hope Malaysian authorities can see this from a humanitarian point of view. Bardet is six months pregnant and must also care for her three children, the youngest being an infant.
“The detention facility is inadequate for the family as they have to sleep on the floor,” he said, adding that Bardet’s eldest and second child are aged 17 and 9.
Adjal said Bardet, who is accused of overstaying for six days, tried to renew her tourist visa and those of her children, but failed due to the movement control order that saw immigration offices in Langkawi and Putrajaya closed.
He also said Bardet cannot be compelled to fly back to France as she is quite far along in her pregnancy.
“So, the best option is to release her and place her under house arrest, while the authorities figure out how to best resolve the issue.” – The Vibes, June 8, 2021
