Fugitive Al-Qaeda leader sentenced to death in AlgeriaJanuary 23, 2012 - 18:19 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A court in Algeria has sentenced a fugitve leader of Al-Qaeda's north African wing and three of his followers to death for attacks against the military.The sentence against Mokhtar Belmokhtar and the three others was handed down in absentia on Sunday night after a day-long trial in Algiers. Six other suspected members of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), who are also currently on the run, received sentences of between two to 20 years. All 10 had been accused of involvement in acts of terrorism and "participation in voluntary acts of homicide" against members of the armed forces, according to AFP. Among the attacks on the charge sheet was a deadly attack in May 2010 when an army commander was killed in Djelfa, which lies around 270 kilometres (170 miles) south of Algiers, by members of the group. Algerian courts have twice sentenced Belmokhtar to life in prison, including in 2008 for the assassination of 13 customs officers, but the authorities have never been able to capture him and enforce the sentence. Algeria has had a moratorium on the death penalty since 1993. AQIM also operates in Niger, Mali and Mauritania but its leadership is dominated by Algerians and was previously known as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, founded in the late 1990s with the aim of toppling the Algerian government and creating an Islamic state. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Mirzoyan says meeting with Bayramov was “constructive” At the moment, Ararat Mirzoyan said, there is no basis for additional comments. OSCE vows support for Armenia “in all three directions of security” Achieving stable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains a priority of the OSCE, said Ian Borg. 151 detained as civil disobedience campaigns continue in Yerevan Citizens have been blocking streets in the Armenian capital, demanding Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation. France welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan meeting in Almaty France has welcomed the new round of negotiations between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. |