2 October 2008

AMSTERDAM -- Convicted Dutch terrorist Samir Azzouz was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment in an appeals court, one year more than handed down by a lower court. Prosecutors asked the judges from The Hague to increase the sentence to 13 years.

For security reasons, court sessions were held at Amsterdam's high-security Osdorp site.

Mr Azzouz was found guilty of planning attacks on Dutch politicians, of recruiting people for an armed struggle against what he called “the enemies of Islam”, of possession of weapons and of membership in a terrorist organisation.

In 2006, a Rotterdam court found that the group he was involved with was not a terrorist organisation. On appeal, four of his co-defendants received prison terms ranging from three months to eight years.

Judges rejected the defence’s arguments that the Dutch secret service was used improperly and prosecutors lied about evidence.

[Radio Netherlands / AP / Expatica]