Nourredine Charef

Nourredine Charef was born in Algeria on March 10, 1970. He was charged under Article 270 bis of the Italian Penal Code for his involvement in a network supporting the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), which is functionally linked to the international terrorist organization al-Qaeda. The aim of this network was to commit acts of violence against the Algerian state and engage in international terrorism.
Between October 2001 and June 2005, Nourredine was associated with an Islamic extremist organization operating primarily in Naples, Aversa, Milan, and Vicenza. This group was formed in the aftermath of the disintegration of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) and focused on recruitment, procuring false documents, and raising funds for terrorist activities. Investigations revealed a well-organized network, primarily operational in Algeria, where it conducted a violent opposition against state institutions, utilizing terrorist actions to instill fear among the population. The organization displayed a complex structure, represented by various factions such as FIS, GIA, and GSPC, with operations extending beyond Algeria to countries including Italy, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. These cells were assigned different tasks, including consolidating support among Algerian expatriates, securing financing, recruiting personnel for operations in Algeria, and establishing safe houses for those involved in combat or facing judicial actions in their home countries. While these cells functioned independently, they were part of a unified transnational structure, united by their shared objective of waging a holy war against apostates and non-believers.
The GIA-GSPC cell likely formed in Naples, where it maintained its operational center. Funds collected in various Italian cities were transferred to Algeria to support jihadist fighters through an organized transport system along the Naples-Marseille route. From Naples, essential identity documents were sourced and then used by forgers to create false identification for distribution, including internationally. The cell also engaged in procuring propaganda materials to incite and prepare for Islamic jihad among Muslim Arabs residing in Italy. Intercepted conversations indicated references to a “national reconciliation” project, essentially an amnesty for militants considered illegal by Algerian authorities. Within the organization, some factions were inclined to promote negotiations with authorities, while a more hardline faction, particularly based in Milan, consistently rejected any notion of compromise, adhering instead to the violent promotion of radical Islamic principles.
In 2011, the Public Prosecutor sought a six-year prison sentence for Nourredine. However, he was acquitted by the Court of Assizes in Naples of the charges against him due to insufficient evidence to support the allegations made under Article 270 bis.