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Serbia sentences Muslims for terrorism
Weapons confiscated at the Wahabi terror camp in Serbia
A Serbian court on Friday sentenced 12 Muslims from a tense southern region of the Balkan country who planned attacks on police and Muslim officials to up to 13 years in prison for planning terrorist attacks, including the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade.
Sentenced wahabis in the courtroom
The Special Court in Belgrade ruled that the defendants, alleged adherents of the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam followed by Osama bin Laden and many al-Qaida members, also planned terrorist attacks on different targets in the Serbian capital, including the downtown American embassy building in 2007.
The sentences ranged from six months to 13 years in jail on charges of terrorism, illegal possession of weapons and alleged links with unidentified foreign terrorist groups.
They were arrested in police raids in 2007 in the tense Sandzak region bordering Kosovo. The raids uncovered large caches of ammunition and bomb-making material. Police said then they had discovered a mountain cave that served as a terrorist training ground.
During the trial that started in January last year, the main defendant, Senad Ramovic, and all other defendants had pleaded not guilty to charges that they planned terrorism attacks.
“We did not want to attack anyone; we are just Muslims devoted to Allah,” Ramovic, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison, told the three-judge panel.
Several incidents have taken place recently in Sandzak within the Muslim community, but no terrorist attacks have been reported.
Another two people were acquitted Friday, while the case against another will go to a separate trial. Initially, the judges said 11 men were sentenced, but later corrected the number to 12.
DUSAN STOJANOVIC
Associated Press Writer
Friday, July 03, 2009