Posted on 06/27/2005 4:36:38 PM PDT by Valin
A feared Algerian terrorist considered the mastermind of the 2003 Sahara Desert kidnapping of European tourists was sentenced to life in prison.
However, the long-elusive Amari Saifi, a former Algerian special forces paratrooper known by his nom de guerre, Al Para, was absent from the courtroom Saturday to the surprise of lawyers and journalists. No explanation was given and his whereabouts remained a mystery.
Saifi was convicted by Algiers' criminal court for "constitution of a terrorist group" and for "propagating terror among a population."
Two of five other defendants, all present for the one-day trial, were sentenced to two years in prison. Three were acquitted.
The United States and European countries, particularly Germany, had pressed for the capture of the elusive Saifi who roamed the Sahara desert region seeding terror. He is considered the mastermind of the kidnapping in 2003 of 32 European tourists, mostly German, one of whom died of heatstroke, and also was wanted in the killings the same year of 43 Algerian soldiers.
Saifi is considered the No. 2 in the Salafist Group for Call and Combat, GSPC, which declared allegiance to al-Qaida two years ago.
He remained elusive in court, though he was captured by Chadian rebels, then mysteriously turned over to Libya before being handed to Algerian police last fall.
"For Algerian justice, Amari Saifi is not under detention," said the judge presiding over the trial in response to a lawyer's query. The statement suggests the possibility that police never turned Saifi over to judicial authorities after his maximum 12 days of detention. Names of judges are typically not provided here because of terrorism concerns by Islamic extremists.
Saifi was captured by Chadian rebels who said they came across him and accomplices in the desert as the men wandered, lost, in northern Chad, in flight from West African armed forces, who were supported by the United States and France.
He then fell into the hands of Libya after months of negotiations with various countries. Libya turned "Al Para" over to Algeria on October 27, 2004, the Algerian Interior Ministry said at the time.
Should have been sentenced in absentia to...DEATH...
Given that is an Algerian prison, that's the likely outcome.
True, but a sentence of automatic death, to be administered to anyone who runs across him, and the problem of getting him into an Algerian prison becomes mute...
THAT'S MOOT (ugh!)
Let me try that one more time:
True, but a sentence of automatic death, to be administered BY anyone who runs across him, and the problem of getting him into an Algerian prison becomes MOOT...
(Weary eyes don't proof read very well sometimes. This is HUGH and SERIES, but should be rendered MUTE...)
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