Spain court convicts 20 radicals of terrorism charges

A judge in Madrid’s National Court acquitted 20 Islamic terror suspects of the most serious charges in an alleged plot, but convicted them of lesser offences. The court found 18 of 20 suspects guilty of belonging to a terrorist organization, and convicted two others of collaborating in the alleged plot to blow up a court, revealed in late 2004. The three-judge panel said prosecutors failed to provide evidence that the suspects plotted to destroy the court with a suicide bombing, and were thus acquitted of these larger charges. The court however, sentenced the 20 persons to a total of 173 years in prison for having collaborative ties to terrorist organizations, including the al-Qaeda linked ‘Martyrs for Morocco.’ The National Court is Spain’s primary court for reviewing terrorism cases.

February 27, 2008

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