ALGERIA HANDS ISLAMIST DEATH SENTENCE

December 3, 2008: an Algerian Islamist convicted of homicide and being part of a terrorist group was sentenced to death by a court in eastern Algeria, the APS news agency reported.
The accused, identified as B. Athmane, 36, denied all the charges against him, including kidnapping, during the hearing.
He was arrested in Reghaia, a town near Algiers, in August 2000 after a skirmish between his group and security forces in which he was seriously wounded.
During the investigation, Athmane admitted committing several crimes with the "Reghaia group."
Prosecutors accused him of participating in an attack on a water reservoir in 1999 in which two guards were killed as well as the killing of a police officer and two local security guards. (Sources: Business in Africa, 04/12/2008)