AMMAN, Jordan, June 16 (UPI) -- Jordan's state security court Wednesday sentenced nine people to 15 years in prison on charges of terrorism and belonging to terrorist groups.
Only one of the accused, Ahmed al-Riyati, appeared in court while the eight others were sentenced in absentia.
Al-Riyati, a Jordanian, was convicted of conspiracy for carrying out terrorist activities in Jordan and received a 15-year prison sentence with hard labor.
He was arrested by U.S. forces in northern Iraq in March 2003 and handed over to Jordanian authorities.
The other accused included the leader of the Ansar al-Islam Muslim militant group Mullah Karikar. Three were convicted of planning to bomb the department of Jordanian intelligence at the orders of Abu Misaab al-Zirqawi, who is believed to be the main al-Qaida operative in Iraq.
