France's highest court of Appeal confirmed the sentence against Carlos for the murder of two French secret agents and their informer in 1975.

1972: A car bombing in Paris that injured 63 is attributed to Carlos

He had appealed to the court on technicalities, arguing that his trial had been unfair because his main lawyer left the case half way through the trial and had to be replaced.

He also argued that witnesses of the 1975 shooting had failed to appear in court.

The court rejected both arguments, and said that Carlos was never without a defence counsel during the trial, and the missing witnesses had not been essential.

The ruling is final and cannot be overturned.

Cold war notoriety

Carlos the Jackal gained international notoriety as a mastermind of deadly bombings, assassinations and hostage taking.

He was captured in Sudan in 1994 and hauled to Paris by French agents inside a sack.

He still faces trial in France in relation to several other attacks in the 1970s and 1980s

Carlos is also wanted in other countries, and has been linked with the 1975 seizure of Opec ministers in Austria, and the 1976 hijacking of an Air France jet to Uganda, which ended with a rescue mission by Israeli commandoes.

The French appeal court deferred a decision on an extradition request by Austria, which wants to try Carlos in connection with the Opec affair on charges of manslaughter, kidnapping and blackmail.

The court said it required further information from the Austrian authorities. A ruling is now expected in September.