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Prosecutor seeks 222,000 years for Qaeda suspects
The punishments are among a total of 230,000 years of prison terms sought for 24 suspects held in jail on charges of belonging to an al Qaeda unit in Spain, according to court documents filed Monday. The trial was due to start this month but has been delayed indefinitely because of a backlog of cases at the High Court. The prison terms correspond to all the charges, including 2,973 murders for those who died in the Sept. 11 attacks, but Spanish law would limit jail sentences to a maximum of 40 years. The suspected leader of the cell is Syrian-born Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas, born in 1963 and also known as Abu Dahdah, who investigators believe financed and organized Islamic militants in Spain. He and two other suspects -- 32-year-old Moroccan Driss Chebli and 41-year-old Syrian Ghasoub al Abrash Ghalyoun -- are charged with aiding the Sept. 11 hijackers in their preparations for the attacks on New York and Washington. Prosecutors seek sentences of some 74,000 years for each of the three and fines of 893 million euros. Another high-profile suspect from the 24 due to go on trial is Tayseer Alouni, 49, a correspondent from Arabic television channel Al Jazeera who interviewed Osama bin Laden shortly after Sept. 11, 2001. Prosecutors are seeking an eight-year term for Alouni on charges of collaborating with a terrorist organization. Alouni has repeatedly maintained his innocence. The cell had been operating in Spain since 1995 under the name "Soldiers of Allah" to promote jihad against the enemies of Islam, according to the 205-page document filed by lead prosecutor Pedro Rubira. Spanish authorities had been watching the group for some time but High Court Judge Baltasar Garzon ordered the first arrests in November 2001. |
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