Press statement                                                                         Grenoble, 2006 december 20th

Cleared,

conductor Michel Tabachnik emerges from an eleven-year nightmare

Still affected by his long battle against the judiciary machine, the conductor Michel Tabachnik did not hide his relief today, after the unanimous decision of the Tribunal of Grenoble : « my innocence has finally been recognized. I emerge from an eleven-year nightmare. »

In fact, Michel Tabachnik was the victim of an unbelievable media and judiciary frenzy, which intended to link him to the tragedy of the Order of the Solar Temple. In order to throw light on this case, a scapegoat was needed. Originating in the press, then picked up again by a judge, unjust and unfounded accusations costed MT eleven years of his life.

Since 1996, the Swiss judiciary had cleared MT of all suspicion. Then, in 2001, the correctional Tribunal of Grenoble (France) did the same. Nevertheless, following the recourse of a prosecutor of Grenoble, Michel Tabachnik had to undergo five more years of agony before the Appeal Court of Grenoble today, definitively proved his innocence and confirmed in particular, that Michel Tabachnik didn't even belong to the Order.

« Eleven years of calumny, humiliation and dishonour before, finally, the French magistrate did render justice to me. I wish this hardship on nobody, and I sincerely hope that my case will make it clear to everyone what such insinuations and accusations can mean to an innocent », noted Michel Tabachnik.

For, if the man suffered severely in his personal life, the conductor also saw his career suffer tremendously. Thanks to the unconditional faithfulness of his friends, among them Pierre Boulez, he is still conducting all over the world, although some doors were closed.

Michel Tabachnik : « It is music, the great passion of my life, which allowed me to withstand the shock. It is music also which will allow me to forget this decade of torment.»

This statement is distributed by the impresarios of Michel Tabachnik

Lawyers :

Me Francis Szpiner, Lawyer of Michel Tabachnik in Paris, phone +33.1.44.07.01.01

Me Jean-Franklin Woodtli, Lawyer of Michel Tabachnik in Geneva, phone +41.22.708.00.50

Michel Tabachnik : www.tabachnik.org and mt@tabachnik.org