 The MDJT leaders tried to have him sent to Germany to stand trial, but finally handed him over to the Algerian secret services in October 2004.In June 2005, the Algerian government announced that he had been sentenced to life imprisonment.An investigation by "Le Monde diplomatique" assured in 2005 that Saifi was not a true Islamist but an agent of the Algerian government who staged a false flag attack by kidnapping the tourists.