Rachid Ramda
Encyclopedia
Rachid Ramda is the convicted mastermind behind the 1995 terror bombings
in French
public transportation systems. He has denied these accusations.
on 29 September 1969, in the East of Algeria. He is from a Berber
Chaouia family, although Arabic is his native language. All the members of his family are well educated: one of his brothers is an architect-engineer, another a computer scientist. Ramda studied architecture at the Institut Polytechnique. He became a supporter of the Islamic Salvation Front
(FIS) when it was founded in 1988; his literature teacher was a co-founder of the FIS. According to his own statements, he left Algeria in 1989 for Pakistan
, thus before the cancellation of the elections which set the stage for the Algerian Civil War
, and before the formation of the Armed Islamic Group
(GIA). In Pakistan he entered into contact with Muslim humanitarian NGOs and other NGOs (including Doctors Without Borders) assisting Afghan refugees. He then abandoned his architectural training. He went to London, where he wrote articles for the El Ansar newspaper. Ramda has denied the allegations of French justice that El Ansar was the official mouthpiece of the GIA.
In 1993, Ramda was sentenced to the death in Algeria
in absentia
for a terrorist attack at the airport of Algiers
, which had killed 9 and wounded 123.
status in the United Kingdom
. After the 1995 terror bombings in Paris
, he was arrested in London on 4 November 1995, accused by French prosecutors of having funded the bombings and of being their mastermind. Ramda has denied the funding role, citing a report from the Scotland Yard
inspector John MacMillan of 23 November 1995, which stated that "no bank accounts have been identified which could be associated with Ramda, or the other possible names used." He did, however, admit that his fingerprint
s had been found on a Western Union
money order
of 38,000 Francs sent to the bomber Ait Ali Belkacem. Ramda claimed that he did not know Ait Ali Belkacem; he has also denied knowing the other bomber, Boualem Bensaid
. Ramda was detained in the HSSU high security unit of Belmarsh prison, which he has compared to Guantanamo.
France requested the extradition
of Ramda from the United Kingdom; Ramda successfully fought extradition until 2005. The refusal of British authorities to extradite Ramda was a point of contention between France and the UK, with many in France and elsewhere alleging that the British government was deliberately lenient to Islamist terrorists operating outside of the UK in order to buy peace in the UK (the alleged "Londonistan
" policy). In fact, British ministers repeatedly tried to extradite Ramda, but had their decisions overturned by the British High Court
. The July 2005 London bombings changed sentiment and paved the way for Ramda's extradition in December 2005.
Supporters of Ramda characterise him as an asylum
seeker held for ten years in UK prisons without charge or trial and claim that this is a clear miscarriage of justice. Detractors note that in the legal sense, Ramda's stay in various UK prisons was not just entirely voluntary, but costly to the British tax payer.
Despite never paying a penny in tax, he was given access to free legal aid for 10 years, whereas he could at any point give up fighting extradition and stand trial in France . Ramda states that he had been fighting extradition because of his fears of mistreatment of Muslims in the French justice system.
.
On 29 March 2006 Ramda was convicted of criminal association with a terrorist organisation and sentenced to ten years in prison by the Tribunal Correctionel, the maximum possible sentence. He had refused to co-operate in his own defense. This sentence was confirmed by the Appeal Court in December 2006.
Ramda has been accused of being one of the masterminds of the Algerian radical Islamist movement, and one of the main personalities of the Algerian Armed Islamic Group
(GIA). Others point out that his young age at the time of his arrest (25) and possible links with other, more senior, Islamic fundamentalists as indicatie that he is only a low level functionary. Ramda has rejected these accusations in an October 2007 interview in Libération
.
The prosecution has showed his fingerprints were on a Western Union money order of 38,000 Francs sent to the bomber Ait Ali Benkalcem. Ramda claims that he did not know Benkalcem, although he admits that it was his fingerprints on the money order. He claims that the prosecution has given a false interpretation of this evidence
. Further evidence submitted by the prosecution concerns wiretaps of phone communications between Ramda and the bombers in France, a short time before and after the bombings. According to Ramda, he has not been allowed to listen to these wiretaps, and he doubts they exist. He denied having phoned the bombers and knowing them.
Ramda stated that detention conditions in France were similar to Belmarsh prison, and that he was badly treated by French police. He declared that he thought, at first, that this was specific to terror suspects, but now he believes that all detainees are treated this way.
Another trial against him began in October 2007 before the Cour d'assises
. The bombers Bensaïd and Belkacem were both given life sentences in 2002, but Ramda's case had been severed from theirs. He was charged of "complicity of assassination in relation with a terrorist enterprise.". He was convicted in this trial on 26 October 2007, and given a life sentence, with the requirement that he serve at least twenty-two years.
1995 bombings in France
The 1995 bombings in France were carried out by the Armed Islamic Group , who were broadening the Algerian Civil War to France. In total, these attacks killed eight and injured more than 100...
in French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
public transportation systems. He has denied these accusations.
Algeria
Rachid Ramda was born in El OglaEl Ogla
El Ogla is a town and commune in Tébessa Province in northeastern Algeria....
on 29 September 1969, in the East of Algeria. He is from a Berber
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
Chaouia family, although Arabic is his native language. All the members of his family are well educated: one of his brothers is an architect-engineer, another a computer scientist. Ramda studied architecture at the Institut Polytechnique. He became a supporter of the Islamic Salvation Front
Islamic Salvation Front
The Islamic Salvation Front is an outlawed Islamist political party in Algeria.-Goals:...
(FIS) when it was founded in 1988; his literature teacher was a co-founder of the FIS. According to his own statements, he left Algeria in 1989 for Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, thus before the cancellation of the elections which set the stage for the Algerian Civil War
Algerian Civil War
The Algerian Civil War was an armed conflict between the Algerian government and various Islamist rebel groups which began in 1991. It is estimated to have cost between 150,000 and 200,000 lives, in a population of about 25,010,000 in 1990 and 31,193,917 in 2000.More than 70 journalists were...
, and before the formation of the Armed Islamic Group
Armed Islamic Group
The Armed Islamic Group is an Islamist organisation that wants to overthrow the Algerian government and replace it with an Islamic state...
(GIA). In Pakistan he entered into contact with Muslim humanitarian NGOs and other NGOs (including Doctors Without Borders) assisting Afghan refugees. He then abandoned his architectural training. He went to London, where he wrote articles for the El Ansar newspaper. Ramda has denied the allegations of French justice that El Ansar was the official mouthpiece of the GIA.
In 1993, Ramda was sentenced to the death in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
in absentia
In absentia
In absentia is Latin for "in the absence". In legal use, it usually means a trial at which the defendant is not physically present. The phrase is not ordinarily a mere observation, but suggests recognition of violation to a defendant's right to be present in court proceedings in a criminal trial.In...
for a terrorist attack at the airport of Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, which had killed 9 and wounded 123.
Extradition
Ramda was granted refugeeRefugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
status in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. After the 1995 terror bombings in Paris
1995 bombings in France
The 1995 bombings in France were carried out by the Armed Islamic Group , who were broadening the Algerian Civil War to France. In total, these attacks killed eight and injured more than 100...
, he was arrested in London on 4 November 1995, accused by French prosecutors of having funded the bombings and of being their mastermind. Ramda has denied the funding role, citing a report from the Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
inspector John MacMillan of 23 November 1995, which stated that "no bank accounts have been identified which could be associated with Ramda, or the other possible names used." He did, however, admit that his fingerprint
Fingerprint
A fingerprint in its narrow sense is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. In a wider use of the term, fingerprints are the traces of an impression from the friction ridges of any part of a human hand. A print from the foot can also leave an impression of friction ridges...
s had been found on a Western Union
Western Union
The Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...
money order
Money order
A money order is a payment order for a pre-specified amount of money. Because it is required that the funds be prepaid for the amount shown on it, it is a more trusted method of payment than a cheque.-History of money orders:...
of 38,000 Francs sent to the bomber Ait Ali Belkacem. Ramda claimed that he did not know Ait Ali Belkacem; he has also denied knowing the other bomber, Boualem Bensaid
Boualem Bensaïd
Boualem Bensaïd is an Algerian member of GIA, an Islamic terrorist organization. He has been accused of an attempted bombing during the 1995 terror campaign in France....
. Ramda was detained in the HSSU high security unit of Belmarsh prison, which he has compared to Guantanamo.
France requested the extradition
Extradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
of Ramda from the United Kingdom; Ramda successfully fought extradition until 2005. The refusal of British authorities to extradite Ramda was a point of contention between France and the UK, with many in France and elsewhere alleging that the British government was deliberately lenient to Islamist terrorists operating outside of the UK in order to buy peace in the UK (the alleged "Londonistan
Londonistan (term)
Londonistan is a pejorative sobriquet in use by parts of the media referring to the British capital of London and the British Government's alleged tolerance of the presence of various Islamist groups in London and other major cities of Britain as long as they carry out their controversial...
" policy). In fact, British ministers repeatedly tried to extradite Ramda, but had their decisions overturned by the British High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
. The July 2005 London bombings changed sentiment and paved the way for Ramda's extradition in December 2005.
Supporters of Ramda characterise him as an asylum
Right of asylum
Right of asylum is an ancient juridical notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries...
seeker held for ten years in UK prisons without charge or trial and claim that this is a clear miscarriage of justice. Detractors note that in the legal sense, Ramda's stay in various UK prisons was not just entirely voluntary, but costly to the British tax payer.
Despite never paying a penny in tax, he was given access to free legal aid for 10 years, whereas he could at any point give up fighting extradition and stand trial in France . Ramda states that he had been fighting extradition because of his fears of mistreatment of Muslims in the French justice system.
Trial in France
After exhausting all his appeals, Ramda was handed over to French custody on 1 December 2005. Transferred to the Palais de Justice of Paris, he was formally informed of four indictments laid against him by the French justice: one for criminal association with a terrorist organisation (specifically for providing funding to the Algerian Armed Islamic Group, or GIA), and three in relation to three terrorist attacks in Paris in 1995. The former, being a "délit", i.e. a crime of intermediate seriousness, would be tried in the Tribunal Correctionnel; and the latter three, considered felonies (that is, carrying a possible sentence of more than 10 years) in the Cour d'assisesCour d'assises
A French cour d'assises or Assize Court is a criminal trial court with original and appellate limited jurisdiction to hear cases involving defendants accused of major felonies or indictable offences, or crimes in French, and one of the few to be decided by jury trialUnder French law, a crime is any...
.
On 29 March 2006 Ramda was convicted of criminal association with a terrorist organisation and sentenced to ten years in prison by the Tribunal Correctionel, the maximum possible sentence. He had refused to co-operate in his own defense. This sentence was confirmed by the Appeal Court in December 2006.
Ramda has been accused of being one of the masterminds of the Algerian radical Islamist movement, and one of the main personalities of the Algerian Armed Islamic Group
Armed Islamic Group
The Armed Islamic Group is an Islamist organisation that wants to overthrow the Algerian government and replace it with an Islamic state...
(GIA). Others point out that his young age at the time of his arrest (25) and possible links with other, more senior, Islamic fundamentalists as indicatie that he is only a low level functionary. Ramda has rejected these accusations in an October 2007 interview in Libération
Libération
Libération is a French daily newspaper founded in Paris by Jean-Paul Sartre and Serge July in 1973 in the wake of the protest movements of May 1968. Originally a leftist newspaper, it has undergone a number of shifts during the 1980s and 1990s...
.
The prosecution has showed his fingerprints were on a Western Union money order of 38,000 Francs sent to the bomber Ait Ali Benkalcem. Ramda claims that he did not know Benkalcem, although he admits that it was his fingerprints on the money order. He claims that the prosecution has given a false interpretation of this evidence
Evidence
Evidence in its broadest sense includes everything that is used to determine or demonstrate the truth of an assertion. Giving or procuring evidence is the process of using those things that are either presumed to be true, or were themselves proven via evidence, to demonstrate an assertion's truth...
. Further evidence submitted by the prosecution concerns wiretaps of phone communications between Ramda and the bombers in France, a short time before and after the bombings. According to Ramda, he has not been allowed to listen to these wiretaps, and he doubts they exist. He denied having phoned the bombers and knowing them.
Ramda stated that detention conditions in France were similar to Belmarsh prison, and that he was badly treated by French police. He declared that he thought, at first, that this was specific to terror suspects, but now he believes that all detainees are treated this way.
Another trial against him began in October 2007 before the Cour d'assises
Cour d'assises
A French cour d'assises or Assize Court is a criminal trial court with original and appellate limited jurisdiction to hear cases involving defendants accused of major felonies or indictable offences, or crimes in French, and one of the few to be decided by jury trialUnder French law, a crime is any...
. The bombers Bensaïd and Belkacem were both given life sentences in 2002, but Ramda's case had been severed from theirs. He was charged of "complicity of assassination in relation with a terrorist enterprise.". He was convicted in this trial on 26 October 2007, and given a life sentence, with the requirement that he serve at least twenty-two years.