AMMAN, Aug 13 (KUNA) -- Jordan's State Security Tribunal on Monday sentenced five people to prison on charges of recruiting suicide attackers for Iraq in a manner undermining Jordan's relations with a neighboring state.
The tribunal, which held a session Monday, sentenced to three years and four months in prison Zuhair Jamal Hamdan Hamdan (aged 34) and Nidal Ata Mohammad Salem (aged 34). But the sentence was reduced to 20 months in jail after taking into consideration alleviating circumstances.
The same tribunal issued in absentia sentences of five years in prison against Mohammad Hassan Hussein Aadili, Iyad Mohammad Ahmad Terfan and Bilal Abdel-Rahman Al-Sharqawi, who are still at large and are facing the same charges as the other two.
According to the text of the indictment, the five were Jordanians but had plotted together to "recruit suicide attackers in Jordan" and sending them to Iraq to fight Multi-National Forces (MNF) there in complicity with other Syria-based terrorists.
The investigation into the case showed that some of the conspirators had started their conspiracy during hajj (Islamic pilgrimage) rituals in the holy city of Makkah, where they met some people there, whose identity was not diclosed. (end) ab.eh KUNA 132052 Aug 07NNNN