Nine convicted in France over Islamist bomb plot

A French court yesterday sentenced nine men to prison for belonging to an Islamist group accused of plotting to carry out bomb attacks in France, one of the men's lawyers said.

The Paris court ruled that Safe Bourada, 38, who has already served a 10-year sentence for his role in Islamist attacks in France in 1995, was the leader of the group, and sentenced him to 15 years in jail, his lawyer Alexandre Duval-Stalla said.

He was found guilty of "association with wrongdoers in relation to a terrorist undertaking", a wide offence that covers a variety of acts, and of financing terrorism.

The eight other members of Ansar al Fath, or Partisans of Victory, were handed sentences of between three and seven years in prison.

Mr Bourada told prosecutors the organisation was created to help finance the Iraqi insurgency and has denied planning attacks in France.

The prosecution said the group was in contact with al Qaeda's leadership in Iraq.

Police say an informer told them the group was plotting to target Paris's Orly Airport and the metro network in the French capital. No arms or explosives were found.

The group was uncovered following an assault in July 2005 on a transsexual prostitute identified as Abderrahim M. Police say the prostitute was robbed by group members looking to finance their extremist activities.

The case has underscored the government's concern that prisons have become a recruiting ground for Islamist militants.

Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said last month France's jails and some poor suburban neighbourhoods, many of which house large numbers of families of North African origin, were among recruiting networks' favourite targets.