Terror prisoners ask Bouteflika for amnesty

Prisoners charged with terrorism sent a letter to Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika asking him for amnesty so that they would benefit from the National Reconciliation.

The letter was conveyed by imam Youcef Mechria who told Echorouk the prisoners said they were victim of extremist ideas and were misled.

Some prisoners sent another letter to the president asking him for amnesty for “human reasons” as they suffer chronical diseases. They cited the example of an old and blind prisoner who was released.

Mechria said he was appointed by the Algerian religious affairs ministry to chair a commission in charge of convincing prisoners to give up armed action.

He added that the prisoners acknowledged their mistake and said they joined terrorist groups by emotion following what happened in Afghanistan and Iraq.