A Tirana court has rendered a verdict on Tuesday regarding the nine individuals suspected for encouraging terrorism, and recruiting and deploying Albanian citizens at the battlefields in Syria.
The nine suspects were sentenced jointly to 126 years in prison.
The two imams, Bujar Hisa and Genci Bala, were sentenced to 18 years, i.e. 17 years in prison, the same as Gerti Pejsha, while Zekir Imeri got 16 years in prison. Orion Rechi, Vervi Morava and Edmond Bala, were sentenced to a 13-year imprisonment, whereas Fadil Muslimani and Ardit Tola were sentenced to 12, i.e. 7 years in prison.
After the ruling was pronounced a tense situation occurred at the courtroom and the defendants threatened the court saying ‘you will get the penalty you deserve’.
The prosecutor’s office that handles heavy crimes in Tirana demanded on April 5, the total of 152 years of prison for the nine suspects, arguing that they were in possession of sufficient evidence that the defendants, in 2013, were persuading, recruiting and sending mainly young people to fight alongside jihadists in Syria.
The suspects were arrested in March, 2014.
independent.mk
