French police have arrested eight Muslims as part of an investigation into "planned" anti-Russian attacks in France
Published:
12 January 2004 y., Monday
Anti-terrorist officers from the DST domestic security service swooped on the suspects in dawn raids in the Venissieux suburb of Lyon on Tuesday.
Chellali Benchellali, the imam of Venissieux mosque, was detained along with his wife Hafsa and one of their sons, Hafed, as well as up to five others.
"(The arrests) will act as a brake on all these networks and this radical and political Islam which is doing so much harm in our suburbs," Venissieux mayor Andre Gerin, a communist, said. Another of the imam's sons, Mourad Benchellali, was previously arrested by US forces in Afghanistan and is being held at the US military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Around 10 people, mostly of Algerian origin, are already in detention as part of the Chechnya-related investigation launched by French magistrates in December 2002. Among the 10 is another of Chellali Benchellali's sons, Menad.
Šaltinis:
english.aljazeera.net
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
The fact that over 80% of the world's children live in the developing world with a poor quality of life is the reason Europe “should take positive action”, according to Glenys Kinnock.
more »
Houses collapse on the outskirts of La Paz Bolivia.
more »
In a remote corner of Siberia children with disabilities are being offered a helping paw.
more »
In Hungary every February The Buso men march through the streets hoping their efforts will help usher in the spring.
more »
Besides fostering dialogues among the world's most influential chefs, the event also is aimed at promoting Japanese food culture to the world.
more »
A new trend in fake fashion is taking China by storm.
more »
When it comes to social protection, the EU has some of the strongest laws on the books.
more »
The Taj Mahal is under threat - a series of cracks have appeared in the walls of the structure.
more »
French and Danish journalists share first prize in the 2008 journalist award "For diversity, against discrimination".
more »
Rallies can be used to pump up people's enthusiasm for all kinds of things but here in Japan schools and colleges are drafting in teams of cheerleaders to boost enthusiasm among students about to enter the jobs market.
more »