19 CONVICTED OF SUPPORT FOR "SOLIMAN" TERRORISTS,

UNCLAS TUNIS 000381 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/MAG (HARRIS AND HOPKINS),DRL (KLARMAN) AND INR (SWEET) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PHUM PGOV TS SUBJECT: 19 CONVICTED OF SUPPORT FOR "SOLIMAN" TERRORISTS, WHO REPORT MISTREATMENT REF: TUNIS 168 (AND PREVIOUS) ¶1. (SBU) On April 11, the Tunis Court of First Instance convicted 18 individuals of being members of a terrorist cell from the central Tunisian town of Sidi Bou Zid, which allegedly supported those involved in the December 2006/January 2007 terrorist incidents (reftel). The defendants, who are mostly in their twenties, received sentences from one to eight years, in addition to five years administrative control after their release (names, DOBs and sentences below),under Tunisia's 2003 terrorism law. Defense lawyer Samir Ben Amor told PolOff on April 16 that many of the defendants knew those involved in the Soliman incidents, several of whom were also residents of Sidi Bou Zid. While suspects in both cases were arrested between December 2006 and January 2007, the Sidi Bou Zid cell defendants were not part of the group physically involved with the Soliman incidents. ¶2. (SBU) Ben Amor said among the charges were possession of weapons (which he characterized as agricultural instruments) and offering of moral support to the Soliman group. He added that Boukhari was allegedly a "Salafi sheikh" who had issued a fatwa in support of the Soliman terrorist plot, but that he was only found guilty of failing to inform the police of others' terrorist activities. All of the defendants denied their involvement and said they had been tortured by security forces after their arrest. Ben Amor, who represents five of the defendants, has already filed appeals to the verdicts. Human rights groups report that hundreds of other Tunisians arrested since 2006 face terrorism-related charges, and the GOT continues to bring small groups of individuals to trial. ¶3. (SBU) Separately, the International Association for the Support of Political Prisoners (AISPP) reported that three of those convicted of involvement in the original Soliman case are being held in solitary confinement (Saber Rakoubi, Imad Ben Amer, and Ali Arfaoui) at Mornaguia prison. The AISPP also said that the families of others convicted in this case are concerned about the physical and mental well-being of their relatives (Jamaleddine Mellakh and Imad Ben Amer) who are imprisoned at Mornaguia or Borj El Amri prisons. Mellakh is reportedly prevented from having any contact with the outside world, including access to newspapers and receiving family visits, by Borj El Amri prison officials. ¶4. (U) The following individuals were convicted of terrorism related charges (name, DOB, sentence): Abdeljelil Aliaoui, 6/27/84, eight years Hafedh Samoudi, 5/17/83, eight years Sami Kdiri, 3/2/76, eight years Mokhtar Akkouri, 10/23/85, eight years Nejmeddine Bargougui, 3/6/79, eight years Ali Omri, 2/9/83, eight years Ramzi Brini, 1/30/85, six years Ghassen Siliane, 7/17/87, six years Mohammed Ali Horchani, 5/4/71, six years Ali Lafi, 6/3/77, four years Habib Hafsi, 1/12/84, four years Ramzi Romdhani, 4/18/77, four years Khatib Boukhari, 8/30/55, three years Laid Jaouadi, 11/14/75, one year Hassib Chebbi, 6/6/84, one year Gammoudi Hmed, 8/16/81, one year Mourad Saadi, 7/15/86, one year Abdessalam Bali, 6/9/84, one year Please visit Embassy Tunis' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/tunis/index.c fm GODEC