Country Reports on Terrorism 2012

attempted murder of a U.S. consul in Strasbourg, is one of Europe’s longest serving
prisoners. The French government immediately appealed the decision. The appellate
court was scheduled to consider the appeal in early 2013.
Countering Terrorist Finance: France is a member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
and underwent a mutual evaluation in February 2011. France belongs to the following FATFrelated
bodies: Cooperating and Supporting Nation to the Caribbean Financial Action Task
Force, Observer to the Financial Action Task Force of South America, Observer to the Asia
Pacific Group, Observer to the Eurasia Group, Observer to the Middle East and North Africa
Financial Task Force, member of the Egmont Group, and member of the Anti-Money
Laundering Liaison Committee of the Franc Zone. The FATF also designated France as a
member of Moneyval, the Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering
Measures and the Financing of Terrorism, for a period of two years beginning in the fall of 2012.
The Government of France began implementing FATF’s April 2012 recommendations to detect,
prevent, and suppress the financing of terrorism and terrorist acts.
On January 31, five people were arrested in the Paris region by the sub-Directorate of the
Anti-Terrorism unit of the Ministry of Interior for channeling funds through restaurants to
the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
On February 16, Taoufik Boussedra, a member of the Cherifi group, was deported to
Tunisia for financing al-Qa’ida (AQ). Boussedra was one of eight men convicted of
financing terrorism in January 2011. The other seven men received from 15 years
imprisonment to a one-year suspended sentence. The men were found to be funneling
funds through shops they opened in several Paris suburbs.
On June 29, Nabil Amdouni, a 34-year-old Tunisian citizen, was arrested in Toulon and
placed under formal investigation for allegedly funding AQIM.
On July 15, the Ministry of Economy and Finance froze the assets of “Emily K” who
actively supported the violent extremist organization, Forsane Alizza.
On October 6 and 7, three members of the PKK in Europe were arrested outside of Paris
and Mayenne for trying to provide 1.2 million euros (US $1.56 million) in arms to the
Iraqi wing of the PKK.
During the last week of October, the Ministry of Economy and Finance froze the assets of
Imam Mohamed Hammami, and expelled him to Tunisia, for calling for a “violent jihad”
and violence against women during his sermons at the Omar Mosque in Paris. The funds
of the Association of Faith and Practice, which Hammami chaired, were also frozen.
On November 28, 15 people were charged with illegally financing the Revolutionary
People’s Liberation Front (DHKP-C), a Turkish revolutionary organization designated as
a terrorist organization by the EU and United States, and banned in Turkey. The
individuals are accused of channeling money made through the sale of a Turkish
magazine to the DHKP-C through the Anatolia’s Cultural and Solidarity Association in
Paris. Prosecutors are seeking jail terms of up to eight years.
On December 17, 10 people went on trial in Paris for allegedly raising 300,000 euros
(approximately US $395,000) for the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, which the UN
lists as associated with AQ. The trial is occurring four years after the suspects, most of
whom are of Turkish origin, were arrested in France, Germany, and the Netherlands.
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