Algeria: fellows of banned-Islamic party leader’s son acquitted

A criminal court in Algiers acquitted four men Saturday of belonging to a terrorist group working abroad and in Algeria.The men talked about joining jihad in Iraq in 2006. Some of them dealt with that during wedding party of the son of Ali Ben Haj, man No 2 at the banned-Islamic Salvation party (FIS).

• After their meeting with a certain M.S. who could not convince them of jihad in Iraq. One of the suspects told security forces he got the phone number of Ali Ben Haj’s son, Abdelfetah on the Internet. He called him and their relationship had been closer and closer until he invited him to his wedding in Algiers.
• The second suspect S.T. knew a security guard at a hostpital in Sidi Belabbes (west of Algiers) during wedding party of his fisherman friend. They talked about jihad in Iraq.
• The third one talked about the same topic in another wedding party of a fast food shop owner in Ain Timouchent province (west of Algiers).
• All of them denied their desire to join Iraq while the Attorney General had required 10 years prison for them. Finally, the court acquitted them.
• Two other suspects appeared in court for belonging to a terrorist group and not denouncing it. They had previously benefited from the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation. One of them was sentenced to life in prison in a previous case and the second one was sentenced to prison. They are now prosecuted for talking about joining a terrorist group after being released on the basis of the National Reconciliation.
• It was alleged that some one had called them and asked to revive the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) but the suspects denied that. They said they had nothing to do with terrorism since they benefited from the law on the National Reconciliation. The Attorney General required 15 and 5 years in prison while the court sentenced them to 3 years in prison.