Rachid Rafaa
Police in neighbouring Martinique are searching for a suspected Jihadist who is linked to al-Qaida leaders and helps them to spread their message via the internet.
The man identified as Rachid Rafaa, 40, has been under house arrest in Morne-Rouge, Martinique since May 15, 2014, but evaded authorities on Wednesday morning.
News agencies there have reported that Rafaa is of Moroccan descent who is said to be linked to a senior member of the Islamist militant organization which aims to overthrow the government in Algeria.
He was arrested back in 2009 after it was found that he used his computer skills to disseminate information on the internet on the group’s behalf.
He has denied having any connection to the jihadist movement and had said he thinks he is being targeted because of his support for the cause of Western Sahara.
Rafaa claims he was subject to torture for 20 days in his home country, which led him to flee to France.
Martinique officials said he was awaiting extradition back to his home country and could be anywhere at this point.
A search is now underway for him and the police there have issued a warning on social media of the matter. They told residents to call the authorities if Rafaa is seen and should not attempt to intervene as he is considered dangerous.
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