TIRANA, Dec. 1 – Albania’s Appeals Court of Serious Crimes upheld this week the conviction of nine people accused of recruiting Albanian Muslims to fight for terrorist organizations in Syria.
Four of the of the leaders also saw the lengths of their sentences confirmed, ranging from 18 to 13 years in prison. While four others saw their sentences reduced by two to six years. Two self-proclaimed imams, who ran two mosques in the suburbs of the capital, which operate outside the control of the Albanian Muslim Community, were the leaders of the group.
Two others were convicted of setting up donations and recruitment activities for terrorist organizations.
In total, the group received about 110 years in prison from the Serious Crimes Court of First Instance.
The convicted men were arrested in March 2014. Prosecutors said they had ample evidence that the defendants, mostly in 2013, have convinced and sent to Syria tens of Albanian citizens, so they could join radicals fighting in the civil war there.
Those arrested faced charges and convictions on “recruitment of persons for purposes of committing acts of terrorism or financing of terrorism.” “training for committing acts with terrorist purposes,” and “incitement of hatred and strife.”
