A 17-year-old accused of ties to a banned Islamist group in Syria was sentenced to six years in prison by a state security court yesterday, a human rights lawyer said. Massaab Hariri was initially sentenced to death for allegedly belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood, "but the court commuted the death sentence to a prison term instead", said Anwar Bunni.Hariri was arrested on his arrival in Syria from Saudi Arabia and has been in prison for the past three years. His mother was also arrested but released some months later. Her son's case was transferred to the security court, which operates under emergency laws in place since the ruling Baath party took power in 1963. In addition, Hariri's father is wanted by police for belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood, Bunni said.
| Okay, I've got no sympathy for the Mooselimb Brotherhood. The state, even a state like Syria, has the right to protect itself from Islamist subversion. The kid was arrested on his way home from Wahhabiland, which is another point against him. But if he's been in prison for the past three years, and he's 17 now, that means he was 14 when he was jugged. Go ahead and stretch Pop's neck when you catch him, and Mom, too, if she's involved in that crap. But give the kid enough time to get old enough to make his own mistakes in life. |