Tunisian Court Jails 22 On Terrorism Charges

Four of the men were sentenced to 14 years in prison, four to eight years and the rest to six years, Ben Amor said.

A Tunisian court jailed 22 men for up to 14 years for belonging to a terrorist cell, a defence lawyer said on Wednesday.

Lawyer Samir Ben Amor did not say to which organisation the men were accused of belonging. Government officials were not immediately available to comment.

"The judge, Mehrez Hemmami, sentenced 22 men to jail terms ranging from six to 14 years as they were accused of having ties with a terrorist group and providing it with money, weapons and explosives," Ben Amor said. He said the court hearing was on Saturday.

Four of the men were sentenced to 14 years in prison, four to eight years and the rest to six years, Ben Amor said.

The 22 men were arrested in 2006 after a clash between Islamists and security officials killed 14 people in and around Tunis.

About 2,000 people have been arrested since 2003 on terrorism charges, Ben Amor said.