Today's Date:

Six youths were sentenced Wednesday to immediate prison terms ranging from 18 months to three years by the Criminal Court in Strasbourg for anti-Semitic offenses committed in April 2002.

The assistant prosecutor of the Regional Court had asked for sentences of three to four years’ imprisonment against two of the accused, 20 and 22 years old.

Two of the men were sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and a third to two years. Two others, already being held for other offences, were sent to prison for 18 months and a sixth defendant got 18 months. A seventh was acquitted.

The youths, who are of North African descent, had prepared a home-made explosive from a powder-filled fire-extinguisher and placed it against a house that was used as an oratory in the Jewish cemetery of Etz-Hayim in Strasbourg.

By chance, the police had noticed the comings and goings of cars in the vicinity of the cemetery, thought them suspicious and taken photos which enabled them to identify and arrest the perpetrators.

Lawyers for LICRA and MRAP said they were satisfied with the submissions. Five of the young men were already known to the police, three for being involved in anti-Semitic demonstrations and two for being involved in drugs.

(source) Agence France Presse