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February 19, 2006
Belgium: Six Moroccan Islamists Jailed
On Thursday (16th Feb), six members of the Islamist terror group, the Groupe Islamique Combattant Marocain, or GICM, which was the entity responsible for the train bombings in Madrid on March 11, 2004, were given jail sentences, states Expatica.
The Madrid train bombings (pictured) cost the lives of 191 individuals. GICM was also behind the bombings which took place in Casablanca, Morocco on 16 May, 2003, killing 45.
Two individuals were sentenced to jail terms of seven years, and the four others were given sentences of five to six years.
The men belonged to a GICM cell, based in the Flemish town of Maaseik. They had been under surveillance for some time, before their arrests between March and July 2004.
The trial of the men commenced on November 16, 2005. Originally 13 individuals were placed on trial at the Palais de Justice in Brussels.
The court decided that Lahoussine El Haski, Mostafa Louahani and Abdelkader Hakimi were leaders of the GICM cell.
Lahoussine El Haski was described as the "theologian" and fundraiser of the cell, and had been involved with jihadist activities in Afghanistan. He received seven years' jail.
Abdelkader Hakimi was responsible for assembling the cell. He had been in Afghanistan and also Bosnia. He also received seven years.
Mosafa Louahani received a six year sentence, and was responsible for sending jihadists to Afghanistan.
All the individuals who were convicted were involved in utilising false passports and giving shelter to terrorists. The individuals all have Belgian nationality, but were of Moroccan origin.
GICM was founded some time in the late 1990s and as well as being iinvlolved in training operations in Afghanistan, the group trafficks in guns and weaponry and forged documents. The group has links with other terror groups from North Africa. The Dutch killer of film-maker Theo van Gogh, Mohamed Bouyeri, was a member of GICM.
Khalid Bouloudou was given a sentence of five years for making forged passports and assisting the leaders of GICM, states Ba.no.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at February 19, 2006 7:39 AM
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