Ten Arab terrorists captured during an Israeli commando raid into Lebanon more than two years ago, were sentenced today to six years imprisonment each by a military tribunal in Lod. The terrorists, who are of various nationalities, were convicted under a controversial 1972 Law which allows Israeli courts to try terrorists who have committed no crime within Israeli territory.
The law was a response to the pardon or expulsion of Arab terrorists from European countries where they had committed crimes including murder and hijacking. The court appointed lawyers for the 10 argued that persons brought to Israel by force could not be tried there and should be treated as prisoners of war. They also noted that the Israeli law had not been published officially in the Arab countries from which the terrorists came.
The tribunal rejected these claims after long deliberation. The 10 terrorists were given six-year prison terms for membership in a hostile organization, bearing arms and training with arms. The fact that they had committed no terrorist acts inside Israel was taken into consideration in determining the relatively light sentences.
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