National
20 sentenced in bomb plot case in Spain
By m.p.
Feb 27, 2008 - 9:17 PM

Twenty of the 30 suspects who were charged in the Operation Nova case for a plot to blow up the Spanish National Court were sentenced on Wednesday, with terms ranging from five to 14 years in prison. The court did not, however, consider it proved that they were conspiring to ram the building with a lorry loaded with explosives, and they were found guilty of lesser offences. Eighteen were sentenced for membership of a terrorist organisation and two for collaboration.

What the court said in its ruling was that while the man believed to be the ring leader, Abderraman Tahiri, may have been planning the attack, the idea had yet to be developed, and there was no proof of conspiracy with the other suspects.

He received a sentence much lower than the 43 years requested by the prosecutor, 14 years. The court considered it proved that Tahiri, also known as Mohamed Achraf, set up Islamic cells in four Spanish prisons. The first, he created himself in Topas prison in Salamanca, and from there, organised other groups through letters to prisoners in Málaga, Almería and Valencia.

Ten suspects were acquitted of charges, but five of them will remain in prison as they are already serving time for other cases.