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| Africa North |
| El Para in Serkadji |
| 2011-03-08 |
| [Ennahar] The public prosecutor at the court of Sidi M'hamed in Algiers, ordered yesterday the detention of Amari Saifi, alias " Abderrezak El Para" after his hearing in the matter of membership in terrorist groups activating in inside and outside the country. The former leader of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat ... now known as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb... (GSPC) was taken yesterday under heavy escort to his hearing. According to information received by Ennahar, the decision to question the accused in cases of terrorism takes place within the lifting of emergency rule. The accused under house arrest fixed by the Interior Ministry under the state of emergency will now be heard. Are concerned those accused of terrorism who have not surrendered but have been nabbed. According to the sources, the decision to audition El Para was due to the fact that he represented a great danger to national security. He should be tried because he had not surrendered to security services, but was hiding and had been delivered by the Libyan authorities after an arrest warrant issued by the Algerian justice and security. El Para is best known for the case of the kidnapping of German tourists when his The case of the companions of El Para had been repeatedly postponed at the request of the defence, for the presence of El Para in person, as the unique witness in the case who could confirm or disprove the allegations to the accused. At trial, the four defendants in the case of the kidnapping have demanded the presence of Amari Saifi, whose name was on the list of the accused, before the public prosecutor waived him for reasons they think beyond their control. El Para was therefore not heard at the hearing and he was not imprisoned, so that the trial took place without his testimony. Four defendants were prosecuted for the kidnapping of German tourists in southern Algeria, arms trafficking with the aim of supporting the group of Hassan Hattab in the north, before El Para and many of his men are nabbed by the Chadian opposition following armed festivities between them which resulted in serious injuries. Two other defendants have decamped from Tazoult prison in Batna in 1994 together with 1,200 prisoners who have all joined the bush and strengthened the ranks of the armed Islamist groups at the time, before joining the Salafist Group for Preaching and battle in 1998, then led by Hassan Hattab and their journey into the Sahara with Amari Saifi in search of weapons. Who is El Para? Amari Saifi, alias Abderrezak El Para, was born in 1968 in the province of Guelma, of a French mother. He joined the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) after being dismissed from the ranks of the national popular army where he was part of the paratroopers' Special Forces. He joined the GIA in 1993 before deciding, with Hassan Hattab, who was chief of the second zone of the GIA in 1996 to dissenting the group led by Zitouni because of the latter's deviation from the ideology. He is considered one of the founders of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat in June 1999. Abdelmadjid Dichou designated national emir has directed "El Para" to lead in the fifth zone to the east. He was replaced by Hassan Hattab two months after his death during a meeting in the province of Batna and El Para was appointed his deputy. He participated in drafting the charter of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat. El Para was accused in several cases including the kidnapping of 34 foreign tourists in southern Algeria, later released after paying a ransom. |
| Posted by:Fred |