Spain's High Court sentenced the alleged leader of al-Qaeda in Spain to 27 years in prison today.
Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas was among 24 people accused of al-Qaeda membership in Europe's biggest trial of suspected Islamist militants.
Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas
The court found he conspired with the September 11th plotters but cleared him of murder in connection with the attacks.
Yarkas was jailed for 12 years for being a leader of a terrorist group and 15 years for conspiracy.
Three defendants were also accused of a role in the September 11th, 2001, attacks on US cities.
Eighteen of the accused were convicted of a crime, mostly of membership or collaborating with a terrorist group, and were handed sentences ranging from six to 27 years in prison.
But, in a setback for prosecutors, no one was found guilty of murder over the September 11th attacks.
A three-judge panel heard from more than 100 witnesses during a two-and-a-half month trial that ran from April to early July at a high-security courtroom on the outskirts of Madrid.
The Madrid case pre-dates the al Qaeda-linked Madrid train bombings of March 11th, 2004, that killed 191 people. Another judge has accused more than 100 people of a role in those attacks.