Tunisian Net users jailed
p2pnet.net News:- Nine members of a Tunisian Net users group have been sentenced to up to 26 years in jail for downloading what were said to be ’subversive’ files.
The most recent, 18-year-old Abderrazak Bourguiba, was jailed for 25 months by the “youth criminal court” in Tunis on April 16, says Reporters Without Borders here.
Tunisian authorities say the Zarzis group, “was trying to make contact with the terrorist al-Qaeda movement for logistical support” and planned to launch a rocket attack against the maritime guard at Zarzis port and on a secondary school, RWB states, going on:
“Said Ben Amor, one of the lawyers for the young men, told Agence France-Presse that the defence had walked out of the 16 April hearing to protest at ‘the absence of prosecution evidence’ and refusal to allow a medical examination of their client.
“Abderrazak Bourguiba appeared before the court with a pierced eardrum and signs of facial paralysis following torture inflicted on him in prison.”
RWB says no “serious evidence” was produced – “simply looking at Internet sites could not in any case constitute grounds for a conviction”.
The other eight members of the group – based in the southern city of Zarzis – were sentenced on April 6.
Hamza Mahrouk, 21, Farouk Chelandi, 21, Amor Rached, 21, Abdel-Ghaffar Guiza, 21, Aymen Mecharek, 22, Ridha Hadj Brahim, a 38-year-old teacher, and Ayoub Sfaxi, “who normally lived abroad,” were each sentenced to 19 years and three months in prison,says RWB.
Tahar Guemir, 19, “who also normally lived abroad”, was jailed for 26 years in prison as the alleged ring-leader.
The eight were convicted of “forming a band to terrorize people … aggression against individuals with the intent to terrorize … holding unauthorized meetings … theft and attempted theft … preparing explosive material [and] unauthorized possession of substances intended for making explosive devices,” RWB says, going on:
“[...] the case file only contained a few files which they had downloaded from the Internet, such as information about the Kalashnikov rifle and documents explaining how to make a bomb”.
However, “When the arrests were make, the police only confiscated a tube of a glue and a few CD-ROMs, which were the only evidence to support the allegation of making explosives.”
It adds that according to different sources, “the young defendants just used the Internet to download files about the situation in the Middle East. They also reportedly talked with one of their teachers, Ridha Hadj Brahim (who is one of those convicted), about the best way to support the Palestinian cause.”
April 21st, 2004 at 5:23 pm
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The Key Master will use the toilet when the sun comes back and the first quail calls…pass it on.
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