Al-Qaeda 'kills British hostage'
03 June 2009
Downing Street says there is "strong reason to believe" that a British citizen has been killed by al-Qaeda militants in north-west Africa.
Edwin Dyer was kidnapped in Niger in January, but was being held in Mali.
The group had said it would kill Mr Dyer if the British government refused to release radical Muslim cleric Abu Qatada from a UK prison.
UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown condemned what he called an "appalling and barbaric act of terrorism".
Abu Qatada is awaiting extradition to Jordan, where he was convicted of terrorism offences in his absence and faces life in jail.
Condolences
Mr Dyer, who spoke fluent German and had been working in Austria, was kidnapped in Niger on 22 January, close to the border with Mali.
He was captured along with a number of other European tourists, including two Swiss and one German. The group had been visiting the Anderamboukane festival on nomad culture.
source: bbc.com