Jacques Vergès, born on March 5, 1925, in Ubon Ratchathani, Siam, which is now known as Thailand, is a French lawyer who has gained widespread recognition since the 1950s.
Initially, he was known for his anticolonialist communist views, and later, he rose to fame for defending a series of high-profile clients from various backgrounds. His clients have included individuals from both left-wing and right-wing terrorist organizations, war criminals, and militants.
Some of his most notable clients include Djamila Bouhired, an Algerian militant who became his future wife, Khieu Samphan, the former head of state of the Khmer Rouge, and Holocaust denier Roger Garaudy.
Vergès has also represented other notable figures, such as Klaus Barbie, a Nazi war criminal, and Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, also known as Carlos the Jackal, an international terrorist.
In 2002, he offered to represent former Serbian President Slobodan Milošević, but Milošević declined any legal advice. The media has often referred to him as "the Devil's advocate" due to his reputation for defending controversial clients.
Vergès has contributed to his notoriety by titling his autobiography "The Brilliant Bastard" and giving provocative responses in interviews. When asked if he would have defended Adolf Hitler, he replied that he would even defend former US President George W. Bush, but only if Bush agreed to plead guilty.
Vergès's career has been marked by his willingness to take on high-profile cases and his ability to defend individuals from a wide range of political and ideological backgrounds.
