TUNISIA:A Tunisian court sentenced 18 suspected Islamist radicals to up to 24 years in prison yesterday after finding them guilty of plotting terrorist attacks, lawyers and judicial sources said.
The appeals court in Tunis rejected defence lawyers' arguments that the men were singled out because of their religious fervour and had no chance of a fair trial because the Tunisian judiciary was not independent and confessions were obtained under torture.
The government denies it practises torture and says all suspects are treated well and given a fair trial. The men had been accused of travelling to Algeria for illegal military training and convicted earlier of plotting attacks.
Seven of the suspects, aged between 20 and 25, were arrested in Algeria and handed to Tunisian authorities in 2005.
The Tunisian appeals court sentenced 14 of the men to jail terms of between four and 10 years. Four defendants, who are on the run, received sentences of 24 years in absentia.
Defence lawyer Anwar Gousari said the charges were false and that his client, Gaith Gazouani, had travelled illegally to Algeria merely to try to reach Europe and escape miserable living conditions.
Salem Basyouch, whose son Maher was among those sentenced, said: "My son is innocent. I want to be jailed myself as one of my sons was already martyred in Iraq and the other is now in prison for 10 years."
Lawyers claim about 1,000 people have been arrested in Tunisia on suspicion of links with terrorist groups since 2003.
A law was passed in 2003 giving the authorities new powers of arrest and detention. - ( Reuters )