TUNIS, Tunisia, June 8 (UPI) -- A Tunisian preliminary court sentenced the only suspect in the suicide attack against a synagogue on the island of Djerba to 20 years in prison.
Judicial sources said in a statement released late Wednesday night that Belkassem Nawwar was convicted of participating in the bombing of Ghriba synagogue in April 2002 in which 21 people were killed, including 14 German tourists.
Nawwar, who appeared in court to hear the ruling, denied the charges filed against him including participation in planning the killing of people, participation in manufacturing explosive material without legal license, attacking people and properties and abstention from revealing information about the preparations of the attack.
Nawwar, however, admitted that he has helped his nephew and suicide bomber, Nizar Nawwar, to purchase the van which was used in the attack.
In addition to the 20-year prison sentence, Naswwar will live under tight monitoring for five years, the ruling said.
The Tunisian authorities arrested Belkassem a few days after the attack in Djerba, about 300 miles south of Tunis, which was claimed by the al-Qaida network a few weeks after it happened.
The attack was carried out with a van carrying natural gas canisters.
Belkassem, who has been detained for four years, was interrogated by German and French investigators, including prominent French anti-terrorism authority judge Jean-Louis Bruguiere.
