Tunisia convicts, sentences 5 in terrorism case

TUNIS, Tunisia -- Two government officials have been convicted and sentenced to prison in connection with an alleged plot to carry out terror attacks and overthrow the Tunisian government, according to their lawyer and court documents. The documents were the first public information about the case against national security official Souhail Guezdah, deputy prison chief Sami Belhaj Aissa and three other defendants. Guezdah, a local chief of Tunisia's national security force, and Hicham Barrak, a sports teacher, were sentenced Wednesday to nine years in prison on charges of belonging to a terrorist organization and of having provided information to help plot terrorist attacks. Hedhili Djait, a cell phone vendor, was sentenced to eight years on similar charges and for having provided the group with its hideout. Aissa, deputy... [read full story]