Good news brought to us by the British Broadcast Corporation:
A Dutch court has sentenced four militant Islamists to prison for planning terror attacks on politicians and the Dutch intelligence service.
Samir Azzouz, 20, was sentenced to eight years while three others received terms of between three and four years.
Some of the group were alleged to have links to the so-called Hofstad group, whose leader was convicted of the killing of film-maker Theo Van Gogh.
Two other defendants were acquitted of terror charges.
The presiding judge said Dutch-Moroccan Azzouz, the ringleader of the group, had been striving to carry out his terrorist aims for several years.
The court ruled that evidence presented in the case suggested that Amsterdam-born Azzouz was planning an “imminent terror attack”.
As the BBC notes this case was considered by many to be something like a ‘test’:
Correspondents say the case has been seen as test case for the Netherlands’ recently-introduced tighter anti-terror laws which allow suspects to be tried for attacks that security forces believe they are planning.
On the one hand the ‘test’ was a success: Samir A. and three of his buddies have to serve quite some years in jail which means that the new anti-terrorism laws are effective, on the other hand NOS Journaal notes that the prosecutor demanded 15 years for Samir A. and Mohammed Chentouf. Eight years is acceptable, but four years (which is what Chentouf received) not quite.
About the others: Soumaya Sahla was sentenced to three years in prison (prosecutor demanded ten). Mourridin El Fatmi received four years (prosecutor demanded 12). Again, quite a difference.
Success? Mostly, yes. The Justice Department is ‘satisfied’, which is – indeed – probably the best word to describe the outcome of this trial. The court agreed with the Justice Department that Samir A. and his buddies were planning terrorist attacks and that the Justice Department, by arresting them, prevented such an attack from happening.
H/t for link to the BBC to Holly.
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