Jordan sentences eight to death for US diplomat murder

07 Apr, 2004

Jordan's state security court sentenced eight Islamic militants to death on Tuesday for killing a US diplomat in an assassination blamed on followers of Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda.
Libyan Salem Saad bin Sweid and Jordanian Yasser Friehat, who were accused of shooting diplomat Laurence Foley on the doorstep of his home in October 2002, were among those sentenced to death.
Chief Judge Fawaz al-Baqour also handed down death sentences on six fugitives in absentia.
Two other Jordanian defendants, Mohammad Damas and Mohammad Amin, were sentenced to 15 and six years hard labour respectively. The case was dismissed against another defendant for lack of evidence.
Among the six fugitives sentenced to death was Ahmad Fadheel al-Khalayleh, better known as Abu Musab Zarqawi.

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