 Bigeard's justification of torture has been criticized by Joseph Doré, archbishop of Strasbourg, Marc Lienhard, president of the Lutheran Church of Augsbourg Confession in Alsace-Lorraine, and others.In June 2000, Bigeard declared that he was based in Sidi Ferruch, a torture center where Algerians were murdered.Bigeard qualified Louisette Ighilahriz's revelations, published in the "Le Monde" newspaper on June 20, 2000, as "lies."