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Dutch court convicts Islamists Dutch court convicts Islamists
(10 minutes later)
A Dutch court has sentenced four militant Islamists to prison for planning terror attacks on politicians and the Dutch intelligence service.A Dutch court has sentenced four militant Islamists to prison for planning terror attacks on politicians and the Dutch intelligence service.
Samir Azzouz, 20, was sentenced to eight years while three others received terms of between three and four years.Samir Azzouz, 20, was sentenced to eight years while three others received terms of between three and four years.
Some of the group were alleged to have links to the so-called Hofstad group, whose leader was convicted of the killing of film-maker Theo Van Gogh.Some of the group were alleged to have links to the so-called Hofstad group, whose leader was convicted of the killing of film-maker Theo Van Gogh.
Two other defendants were acquitted of terror charges.Two other defendants were acquitted of terror charges.
The presiding judge said Dutch-Moroccan Azzouz, the ringleader of the group, had been striving to carry out his terrorist aims for several years.
'Test case'
The court ruled that evidence presented in the case suggested Azzouz was planning an "imminent terror attack".
The evidence included a suicide video, automatic weapons and manuals explaining how to turn mobile phones into detonators.
Prosecutors claimed that the loosely-linked group was an extension of the Hofstad group.
Two other men - Mourridin El Fatmi and Mohammed Chentouf - were sentenced to four years in prison.
The only female defendant in the case - Soumaya Sahla - received a three-year sentence.
Correspondents say the case has been seen as test case for the Netherlands' recently introduced tighter anti-terror laws.