They called on Algerian authorities "to free all political prisoners and to reconsider their position in the matter of outlawing the FIS" in a statement expressing their condolences on Monday's murder of FIS number three Abdelkader Hachani.

The killing of the man who played a major role in nearly bringing the FIS to power in 1992 - before the army prevented a second round of general elections, with the Islamists well ahead in the first - has deeply shaken the country, whose new leader has moved for civil reconciliation.

Hachani had repeatedly said that he wanted peace and a halt to the violence that has ravaged Algeria since 1992.

However, he had criticized President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's program, for partial amnesty saying it was not bold enough, and called instead for total amnesty and the release of the FIS's top two leaders, Abassi Madani and Ali Belhadj.

The 94 people who signed the letter, including foreign academics, expressed their "concern and stupefaction" at the "exclusion of the FIS and of its chouyoukhs (religious leaders)," as well as official "declarations on the banning of their right to political activity." They also called for dialogue between all political movements including FIS leaders to ensure the success of national reconciliation and agreement.

Amongst the non-Algerian signatories were sheikhs Mustapha Machehour leader of the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt and Ahmed Yassin, leader of the Palestinian Hamas group.

Algerians who signed included former FIS leader Abdelkader Boukhemkhem, the exiled president of the FIS executive Rabah Kebir, and former prime minister Abdelhamid Brahimi who is in exile in London.

The group concluded that Hachani's assassination arose from a climate of "growing signs of marginalization, desperation, violence and fading hopes, resulting from the civil pact that has burdened the Algerian people and all those who love Algeria."

In the continuing violence in the country four people were killed and five injured Tuesday in attacks that the government attributed to armed Islamists, the Algiers press reported Thursday.

Two members of the Legitimate Defense Group (GLD) were killed in an ambush by an Islamist group at Kharrouba in the region of Boumerdes, 50 km (30 miles) east of Algiers, several reports said.

An explosion killed one person and injured another at Boufarik, 25 km (15 miles) south of the capital, the daily Liberte said.

The body of a man was discovered at El Affroun, 70 km south of Algiers, the Jeune Independent newspaper said, while Sawt El-Ahrar reported a bomb attack at Beni Melek near Damous.

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