French ‘Barbarian’ gang leader gets life

A Paris gang chief has been sentenced to life in prison in France for the murder and torture of a Jewish man.

Youssouf Fofana, the leader of a group that called itself the ‘Barbarians’, was extradited to France after fleeing to the Ivory Coast following the death of Ilan Halimi in 2006.

Under tight security, Fofana was sentenced to 22 years, the maximum under French law, after he admitted killing.

Two other accomplices were given 15 and 18 years respectively. The woman who lured Halimi received nine years.

The anti-Semitic nature of the killing shocked France, sparking mass protests.

The gang abducted the 23-year-old for more than three weeks, unsuccessfully trying to extort a ransom, before leaving him to die. Halimi, who died shortly after, was discovered near a train station, naked, handcuffed and severely burned.

Copyright © 2009 euronews

tags: France, Justice