Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — An Albanian court has sentenced nine Muslims to jail terms ranging from seven to 18 years for inciting terror, recruiting and sending more than 70 men to join rebel groups in Syria.
The Tirana court on Wednesday said that the men, including three preachers, were convicted of recruiting, training and inciting hatred, mainly in the capital, Tirana, from two mosques that were not recognized by the country's Muslim community.
Their family members said they will appeal.
About two-thirds of Albania's 3.2 million residents are Muslims. Mainstream religious leaders have asked their believers not to join rebel groups in Syria. Still, scores of Albanians are believed to have joined Islamic extremist groups in Syria and Iraq.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
