Death of Paul Barril: co-founder of the GIGN dies at the age of 80

Paul Barril, the co-founder of France’s elite National Gendarmerie Intervention Group, died on Tuesday at the age of 80. The announcement was made by the unit on Wednesday. Born on April 13, 1946, in Vinay, Isère, Barril was the son and grandson of gendarmes. He graduated top of his class from the gendarmerie officer school. A black belt in karate, confirmed parachutist, combat swimmer, and sharpshooter, he possessed a deep passion for weapons and anti-terrorism gadgets. In 1974, he helped create the GIGN under the leadership of Squadron Leader Christian Prouteau. While Prouteau defined strategy, Barril applied tactics on the ground, favoring explosive and paralyzing devices. His career took a turn in July 1982 when he temporarily replaced Prouteau at the head of the GIGN. Prouteau had been called to the Elysee Palace to establish an anti-terrorism cell. Shortly after assuming command, Barril led a team that arrested three Irish men in Vincennes in August 1982. The Elysee described them as dangerous terrorists. However, judicial investigation revealed serious irregularities in the arrest procedure, leading to their release. Barril faced accusations from an informant who claimed he planted weapons and explosives at the Irishmen's residence. Despite these allegations, he escaped all legal prosecution. He later remarked that while the affair caused him twenty years of trouble, he remained the ultimate winner legally. In 1983, severe injuries sustained during training forced him to leave the GIGN just as the Irish case became a state affair. At his request, he was placed on five-year availability status from the gendarmerie in 1984. Following his departure from active service, Barril wrote two books, including Special Missions, which discussed the so-called Irish trap. He subsequently founded a private security firm named Secrets. His reputation opened doors to Gulf emirates and African nations, where he sold his counter-terrorism expertise. He advised several heads of state, particularly in Africa. During this period, he was also implicated in the illegal wiretapping scandal at the Elysee Palace. In 2005, the Paris criminal court sanctioned seven defendants in this case. Barril received a suspended six-month prison sentence and a fine of 5,000 euros for harboring documents that infringed on privacy rights. This verdict was upheld on appeal and by the Court of Cassation. In late 2007, Barril spent more than a month in prison at Baumettes in Marseille during an inquiry into the Concorde gaming circle in Paris. He was eventually acquitted. His most serious legal exposure stemmed from the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. French Judge Marc Trevide questioned him multiple times regarding the April 1994 attack on the plane carrying Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana. That attack triggered massacres that killed 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Non-governmental organizations accused Barril of complicity and supplying weapons to genocidal forces weeks after the killings began. He consistently denied these charges. In 2020, he was granted assisted witness status in the investigation. However, hopes from civil parties were dashed by a medical expert report. It concluded that his illness prevented him from enduring interviews or confrontations. Barril suffered from Parkinson’s disease and thyroid cancer for many years. In 2014, he disclosed that he was very ill and undergoing heavy medical treatment. These treatments caused periods of confusion. In June 2014, this led to a misunderstanding involving police intervention at his home because he was described as barricaded and armed. Known for his ironic grey-blue eyes and sharp wit, Barril changed the image of the gendarmerie. In a 2018 interview with L’Essor, he expressed a wish that he could have simply ended his career as a general of the gendarmerie. Instead, his trajectory was marked by involvement in two scandals from the Mitterrand era: the Vincennes Irish affair and the Elysee wiretaps. He also played a complex role in Central Africa during the Rwandan crisis. His early career included advising Saudi authorities in 1979 to suppress a revolt at the holy sites of Mecca. He served as the number two man in the GIGN before its restructuring. The unit announced his death on Wednesday, confirming reports that emerged earlier in the day. Sources noted that he had been ill for a long time. The combination of his military achievements and subsequent legal controversies defined his public legacy. He remained a polarizing figure in French security circles. His work in private security brought him to various African countries where he protected high-profile individuals. The legal proceedings related to Rwanda continued despite his declining health. Medical assessments ultimately limited his ability to participate fully in the judicial process. His death concludes a life characterized by both operational success and significant controversy. The GIGN, which he helped build, continues operations today. His family and former colleagues mourned the loss of a key figure in modern French special forces history. The specific circumstances of his final days were not detailed publicly beyond the confirmation of his passing.