Spanish court charges 32 with bomb plot

A Spanish judge charged 32 alleged members of an Islamist cell today with membership of a terrorist organisation, conspiracy …

A Spanish judge charged 32 alleged members of an Islamist cell today with membership of a terrorist organisation, conspiracy and forgery, saying they had plotted to blow up the High Court in Madrid in 2004.

Most of the men were arrested late that year as part of Judge Baltasar Garzon's investigation into the alleged plot.

A court statement said the plot involved attacking the High Court with a one tonne truck bomb and carrying out attacks on other major Madrid landmarks.

"They wanted to kill the people inside - judges, employees, members of the public - destroy the archives as well as gaining from the impact that such a high-profile attack would have," the court documents said.

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Up to 980 people could have been inside the building at the time, they said.

The High Court handles cases of terrorism and was the site of investigations into the March 2004 Madrid train bombings which killed 191 people.

Investigators have said the Islamist cells, also suspected of plotting to bomb the stadium of the Real Madrid soccer team, were largely organised in prison by radical inmates.