Al-Jazeera Interviews Western Al-Qaida Hostages In Mali

Quelle: Youtube Al-Jazeera

On November 25 2011 three Europeans were captured by masked gunmen in the Malian city of Timbuktu. Steven Malcolm, a dual South African and British national as well as Nils Joan Viktor Gustafson, a Swedish national, and Jacobus Nicolo Ruke, a Dutch national, were taken hostage by „Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb“ (AQIM) and have since then been held by the Islamists.

In April of this year AQIM offered to release all three men if the UK would stop the deportation of imprisoned Jihadist cleric Abu Qatada to the United States. The deal was not made.

Qatari TV-Channel Al-Jazeera was able to contact AQIM for a rare meeting the Malian desert. The journalists were allowed to interview the European hostages. Footage of this visit to the Al-Qaida fighters can be seen here

Al-Jazeera Meets Western Hostages In Mali

Al-Qaida in Islamic Maghreb Demands Release of Abu Qatada

by Florian Flade

Last November Islamist militants of Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) kidnapped three Europeans in the Mali desert city of Timbuktu. Among them British-South African national Stephen Malcolm.

Today AQIM released a statement offering the release of the Briton in return for the release of Palestinian cleric Abu Qatada. If the British government agrees to deport Abu Qatada to a country of his choice, Stephen Malcolm will be freed, the statement by AQIM reads.

Britain has been trying to extradite Abu Qatada to Jordan for more than six years now. In the Arab country the cleric has been sentenced in absentia for the involvement in terror attacks. Now the European Court of Human Rights is about to decide wether or not the British government is allowed to extradite Abu Qatada.

In today´s statement AQIM says that Britain will „open the doors of evil“ if the Palestinian cleric will be send to Jordan.

Al-Qaida fordert Freilassung von Gelowicz-Ehefrau

von Florian Flade

Al-Qaida in Nordafrika bekennt sich zur Entführung eines deutschen Ingenieurs im Niger. Die Islamisten fordern die Freilassung einer in Deutschland inhaftierten Terrorhelferin.

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