NEW YORK, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- A federal judge in New York sentenced defense lawyer Lynne Stewart to 28 months Monday for helping a jailed Muslim cleric communicate with his followers.
U.S. District Judge John Koeltl rejected federal prosecutor's request for a 30-year prison term, the New York Times reported.
Stewart, a lawyer long known for her devotion to radical causes, violated the terms of Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman's imprisonment by releasing a message to his followers in Egypt. She was convicted almost two years ago of providing material support to terrorists and lost her license to practice law as a result.
Stewart has since expressed some regret for her actions.
"I still believe it was justifiable -- but perhaps not in the way that I did it," she told the Times in an interview while she was awaiting sentencing.
Rahman was convicted of conspiring to blow up New York landmarks and to assassinate Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
