Abderrezak El Para paid 300,000 Euros to Gaddafi in return for his brother-in-law release

An Algerian man and a Malian appeared in a court in Algiers Tuesday accused of working for terrorist groups led by Abderrezak El Para who kidnapped German tourists. Their trial showed that Libya received 300,000 Euros and three cars as ransom from terrorists to free El Para’s brother- in-law. Armed groups in the Algerian desert bought heavy weapons and ammunition from a senior officer in the Malian army.

The two suspects were involved in murders, traps and kidnappings. They killed 30 people in the province of Tamenrasset (south of Algiers), two employees of Algeria’s energy group Sonatrach and two custom officials. They also kidnapped foreign tourists including 10 Germans and a Holland. They freed them in return for 4 million Euros ransom.

B. A. alias Mokatil Abu Djabel tried to convince the judge that he joined terrorist groups in 1996 by force and he did not carry out any violent act.

Attorney General did not seem convinced by the suspect’s statements. He said Abu Djabel was chosen for a TV interview with French Canal+ channel along with El Para to talk about jihad ideas in Algeria and the Sahel region.

He sought death penalty for the suspect as the charges are confirmed. He had been caught fighting in Chad in 2004. In 2010, he was extradited to Algeria.

Attorney General sought life prison sentence for the Malian national.