Posted on 06/24/2002 7:55:09 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
BRUSSELS, Belgium, Jun 24, 2002 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- Three Germans arrested during riots outside a European Union summit last December received one-year suspended prison sentences Monday.
The three men, aged between 19 and 21, were accused of hurling stones at police guarding the EU summit in the Brussels suburb of Laeken and resisting arrest,
The demonstrators, who pleaded innocent, were convicted largely on the evidence from police witnesses.
Defense lawyer Joke Callewaert said her clients should have been acquitted and accused the court of using them to set an example to deter future demonstrations against international meetings.
A series of demonstrations before and during the EU summit drew some 90,000 to the Belgian capital in December, mainly to protest against global capitalism or the war in Afghanistan.
Around 80 were detained during outbreaks of violence, but most were released without charge.
Copyright 2002 Associated Press, All rights reserved
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