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El-Para jailed for life
One of Algeriaâs top Islamic rebels, wanted in Germany for the kidnap of 32 European tourists in the desert in 2003, was sentenced to life in prison in his absence yesterday for helping to create a terrorist group. Amari Saifi, deputy head of the Al-Qaeda-aligned Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), was convicted in a court in Algiers of creating an armed terrorist group and spreading terror among Algeriaâs population.In the same trial, three Algerians were acquitted and two received three years in prison, the judge said. Saifi, a former paratrooper, was tried in his absence as the case was brought to the court before his extradition to Algeria last October. He is in custody at an undisclosed location and under interrogation for other terrorism-related charges. He is wanted in Germany in the kidnapping of 32 European tourists in the Algerian Sahara desert, including several German nationals. The authorities are preparing several charges against Saifi, including kidnappings and numerous killings of soldiers and civilians spanning over a decade. Experts say Saifi built up a base in the inhospitable Sahara desert, partly through the control of contraband. He is also believed to have recruited followers in neighboring countries. Posted by: Dan Darling 2005-06-27 |
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