Prison sentences against cell members in Belgium for recruiting jihadists to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan

27/06/2012 – The federal court in Brussels, Belgium, yesterday (26/06/2012) issued prison sentences against members of a cell accused of terrorism and recruitment of jihadists to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The defendants denied their relationship to terrorism but the federal prosecutors acknowledged their relationship with al-Qaeda.

The men were arrested on November 2010 and weapons and publications that support Qaeda and calls for jihad in Islamic countries were found in their possession.

The court sentenced Ali Tabich, 38, the leader of the group, to eight years on charges of recruiting fighters in Belgium and for suspicion of his involvement in 2005 in the ranks of al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Abdul Rahman was also sentenced to eight years on charges of terrorism and broadcasting videos on extremist sites on the internet.

The court sentenced issue a five-year sentence to the Imam of the group Ali Olivier Group Dacey and a three-year prison sentence against Samer Azwaj, where he acknowledged that Ali Tabich sent him to Syria, but denied his desire to go to combat zones.

Source: http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/3/314458/