al-Qaeda leader gets 27-yr jail

Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas was among 24 people accused of al-Qaeda membership in Europe's biggest trial of suspected Islamist militants. Three defendants were also accused of a role in the September 11, 2001, attacks on US cities.

Eighteen of the accused were convicted of a crime, mostly of membership or collaborating with a terrorist group, and were handed sentences ranging from six to 27 years in prison.

All the defendants had protested their innocence.

Yarkas, also known as Abu Dahdah, Driss Chebli and Ghasoub al Abrash Ghalyoun were accused of 2,973 murders for the September 11 attacks and could have faced jail terms of more than 74,000 years if convicted.

Al Jazeera journalist Tayseer Alouni was sentenced to seven years in jail for collaborating with a terrorist group, but acquitted of being a member of al-Qaeda.

But, in a setback for prosecutors, no one was found guilty of murder over the September 11 attacks.

Yarkas was jailed for 12 years for being a leader of a terrorist group and 15 years for conspiracy.

Ghalyoun, accused of giving a video of New York landmarks to al-Qaeda to help them carry out the attacks, was acquitted on all counts.

The video, played at the trial, bore all the hallmarks of standard holiday picture-taking, with pictures of friends that included the cue "Say cheese."

Chebli was jailed for six years for cooperating with an armed group, but acquitted of murder.