THE GUARDIAN: French president condemns death of Michel Germaneau as 'a barbarous act', promising it will not go unpunished
A 78-year old French aid worker held hostage by al-Qaida's north African branch was killed by his captors at the weekend, president Nicolas Sarkozy confirmed today.
Retired engineer Michel Germaneau was "murdered in cold blood", the French leader said in a televised statement in which he warned "the crime committed will not go unpunished".
"I condemn this barbarous act, this odious act, which has just left an innocent victim," Sarkozy said of Germaneau's killing. "Far from weakening our determination, his death must reinforce it." >>> Kim Willsher in Paris | Monday, July 26, 2010
