[MSN] Art theft trial begins for former Olympian’s partner

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Art theft trial begins for former Olympian’s partner
 
Rene Bruemmer
The Gazette


Tuesday, May 08, 2007

The trial of former Olympic athlete Myriam Bedard's partner, Nima 
Mazhari, who is charged with the theft and possession of paintings 
valued at $100,000, began this week at the Montreal courthouse.

Mazhari, who initially defended himself in the case after complaining of 
unfair treatment at the hands of Canada's justice system, appeared in 
court Monday with legal-aid lawyer Yves Graton.

"A judge told me it's very hard even for a lawyer to present a case like 
this in front of a jury," Mazhari said in an interview today. "So even 
though we suffered this very hard situation, where we faced bureaucratic 
terrorism, where I was not trusting anybody ... we will have to try and 
have trust."

Jury selection and witness testimony is scheduled to begin next week, 
"but in court, you never know how long things will take," Mazhari said. 
This week is reserved for legal motions by the defence. The case is 
scheduled to last eight weeks.

Mazhari is accused of stealing 20 paintings between December 2001 and 
November 2003 by the late Ghitta Caiserman-Roth, with whom Mazhari 
shared a studio on St. Laurent Blvd.

Bedard and Mazhari dominated headlines last December after a Canada-wide 
warrant was issued for her arrest on charges they had fled to 
Washington, D.C., with her 11-year-old daughter in violation of a 
custody agreement with the girl's father.

Bedard and Mazrahi said they were seeking asylum in Washington because 
they were being persecuted in Canada after testifying about the Liberal 
sponsorship scandal.

Bedard, who won two Olympic gold medals for Canada in 1984, was arrested 
in Columbia, Md., on Dec. 22 and spent two weeks in a U.S. jail before 
being sent to Quebec City with an RCMP escort.

In April, she was ordered to stand trial on a charge of abducting her 
daughter in violation of a court order by Superior Court Justice Pierre 
Verdon.

http://www.canada.com/