By Charlotte Oliver, September 13, 2015
Kirstie Trupp (left) and Katie Gee
Two suspected terrorists have been charged with carrying out an acid attack on Jewish teenagers Katie Gee and Kirstie Trup in Zanzibar two years ago.
According to Abdulrahman Kinana, secretary general of Zanzibar’s ruling party, the friends from north London were attacked by members of Uamsho or “Awakening” – an organisation linked to the Islamic extremists group Boko Haram.
The politician told US political website The Hill that Tanzanian authorities had arrested and charged the men, having been “assisted by investigators from the British police at New Scotland Yard and Interpol”.
He added: “Uamsho has a history of targeting foreigners and even Muslim and Christian religious leaders who do not support their aim of tearing apart the union of Tanzania through terrorism and converting Zanzibar into an extremist state.”
According to reports, this is the first time the Zanzibar government has announced any charges made against suspected perpetrators of the attack.
Katie Gee and Kirstie Trup, both 18 at the time, were volunteering on the east African island in the summer of 2013 when they were doused in acid by two men on a moped as they walked down the street.
Both suffered burns to their hands, chests and faces, with Miss Gee requiring extensive plastic surgery to treat her injuries.
Following the attack, it was suggested that the girls, who had attended JFS, were targeted for being Jewish. But both have said they were careful not to wear anything that would identify their faith, and were also dressed appropriately to respect the local population’s observance of Ramadan.
The terrorist group Boko Haram is well known for using acid as a weapon in its campaign to see Sharia law imposed across Tanzania.
Last updated: 1:28pm, September 13 2015
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