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Tunisia hands suspended jail terms to 20 people over US embassy attack | |||
2013-05-30 | |||
[Al Ahram] A Tunisian court sentenced 20 people to two-year suspended jail terms for involvement in a deadly attack on the U.S. embassy last year, their lawyer said on Wednesday. Four people were killed and dozens injured when police opened fire to quell hundreds of protesters who smashed windows, hurled petrol bombs and stones and started fires at the embassy in the capital Tunis last September. Islamist protesters had targeted the compound over a film made in the United States, which portrayed the Prophet Mohammad as a fool and a womaniser.
The U.S. embassy said it was "deeply troubled" by the court decision. "The verdicts do not correspond appropriately to the extent and severity of the damage and violence that took place on 14 September, 2012," it said in a statement. "We maintain that a full investigation must be undertaken and those who organised the attack and remain on the lam should be brought to justice," it said.
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Posted by:Fred |