Spotlight on “Devil’s Advocate”

4 Jan, 2010 07:34 / Updated 14 years ago

“The Devil’s Advocate” is the nickname of the French lawyer, Jacques Verges, who has represented some of the world’s most evil and notorious figures in court.

The controversial French lawyer has been recently featured in a documentary film from the Oscar-nominated director, Barbet Schroeder – RT brings you an interview with the filmmaker.

In a career that has spanned over half a century, Verges’ clients have ranged from gang leaders to war criminals, militants, terrorists and most wanted international fugitives.

A friend of Pol Pot, the notorious Khmer Rouge leader behind Cambodia's genocide, one of Verges’ most talked-about cases was defending former Gestapo chief Klaus Barbie.

Several years ago, the French lawyer agreed to appear in a documentary film by a Tehran-born filmmaker.

Barbet Schroeder describes his movie, entitled “Terror's Advocate”, as “entertaining like a thriller”, but says it demands high attention, because there is so much information in it that the viewer has to digest along the way.

Schroeder believes one of the greatest subjects of art is the nature of evil. Is “the Devil’s Advocate”, Jacques Verges, one of the toughest men the 68-year-old filmmaker has ever met?

“The bravest – yes, but also the most intelligent, and definitely the toughest to crack!” Schroeder told RT’s Valeria Paikova during an interview in Paris.