Rotterdam, June 05: A Dutch court today acquitted 10 men accused of running a criminal organisation that recruited fighters for Osama bin Laden's network to wage "holy war" on non-Muslims. The two remaining suspects were given sentences of two and four months respectively for possession of false travel documents but the court ruled that they were also not members of a criminal enterprise.

The judges said there was not enough evidence to support the prosecution's allegations that the 12 formed a criminal organisation that was involved in drug smuggling and forging documents to organise and fund the travels of Muslim jihad warriors destined for the al-Qaeda network or Afghanistan's former Taliban regime.

The verdict is a blow to the prosecution that had asked for sentences of up to three years.

The judge has ordered that all suspects should be free because the time the two convicted men served in remand surpassed their sentences.

Bureau Report