District Court in the town of Pazardzhik has ruled on the radical Islam trial heard in Pazardzhik, Radio FOCUS – Pazardzhik reported.
Defendant Said Mutlu, who is an imam in the town of Sarnitsa, was found guilty of spreading an undemocratic ideology and sentenced to a fine of BGN 3,000. He was also found guilty of heading an organisation aiming at committing crimes under chapter 1 of the Penal Code, namely spreading undemocratic ideologies based on the Salafist movement and he was sentenced to 1 year in prison and 3 years’ probation period.
Abdulah Salih, who is regional mufti of Pazardzhik, was also found guilty of committing crimes under Articles 108 and 109 of the Penal Code and sentenced to pay BGN 3,000. He was also sentenced to 10 months in prison and 3 years’ probation period.
Ahmed Musa Ahmed was found guilty and sentenced to 1 year in prison for committing a crime under Article 108 of the Penal Code and 1 more year for committing a crime under Article 109. He was also found guilty of committing a crime under Article 164 of the Penal Code, namely propagation of hatred on religious basis, and was sentenced to 1 year in prison and a fine of BGN 5,000. The court rules he is to serve a previous punishment of 3 years in prison and 5 years’ probation period as the committed by him crimes fall with the frames of the probation period. Ahmed Musa Ahmed will have to serve a total punishment of 4 years in prison under a strict initial regime.
The rest of the defendants – Nedzhmi Dabov, Hayri Sherifov, Bayram Ushev, Ahmed Abdurahmanov, Izzet Dzhalev, Mohamed Kamber, Yusuf Gorelski, Nayme Gorelska, Ali Hayredin and Ali Hodzha were found guilty of being members of an unregistered organisation aiming at committing crimes.
They were imposed fines of BGN 2,000, only Ali Hodzha was sentenced to pay a fine of BGN 3,000.
After the sentences were announced two rallies were staged – one of nationalists, the other – of Muslim people yet the presence of police forces prevented clashes.