Belgium: Terror suspect doesn't show up for trial, is in Syria fighting Assad

Belgium: Terror suspect doesn't show up for trial, is in Syria fighting Assad
Via VRT:

In Brussels, a trial has started against 7 radical Muslims. The defendants are facing terrorism charges. They are suspected of planning a terrorist attack in Brussels, and of recruiting new members for Al Qaeda on Belgian soil for the "holy war" in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to their lawyers, there is no proof that they actually had plans to carry out a terrorist attack.

(...)

One of the suspects is the son of sheik Bassam, a radical imam who was recently convicted in Italy, receiving 8 years' imprisonment. The suspect did not show up in Brussels today, he is said to be fighting the Assad regime in Syria.

(source)

Sheik Bassam is Bassam Ayachi.  Abdelrahman Ayachi's lawyer told the court: "My client is originally from Syria.  He's currently there and is committing terrorist acts against the regime of president Assad. (...) He's doing in Syria, with support of the UN, the same things for which he is being charged here in Brussels today.  In Iraq he fought against the Americans.  That's not allowed.  In Syria he's fighting against Assad and that's OK.  Whether someone is a terrorist or a hero now depends mainly on the geo-strategic interests of our country."

Updated: Abdelrahim was previously convicted for inciting hatred against Jews, but some of the charges were dropped on appeal.

London: Young Syrians travel to country to support protest

London: Young Syrians travel to country to support protest

Berlin: Syrian Channels Aid to Embattled Countrymen

Berlin: Syrian Channels Aid to Embattled Countrymen

Via Spiegel:

A Syrian expat in Berlin has teamed up with Germans to launch a donation drive similar to long-distance "adoption" programs for children in poor countries. Though they fear the wrath of Syrian intelligence agents and for the safety of aid recipients in the country, they are determined to foster peaceful revolution on the home front.

Aktham Abazid and two German friends lead the way into an office that looks more like a storage room off a courtyard in Berlin. The men would like to keep this location secret because they are fighting against Syrian leader Bashir Assad from here. Even in Berlin, they believe that one can't feel completely safe.

Darkness falls as the men flip open their laptops. The seats are plastic, but they have Internet access -- and that's all they need. Abazid, 38, writes three names on a scrap of paper: Hama, Aleppo and Derik. In these three Syrian cities, people are sitting in clandestine offices waiting for their help. The men in Berlin plan to add these locations to the aid program they have devised for Syrian opposition activists.

(source)

Prague: Syrian community protests against Assad's regime

Prague: Syrian community protests against Assad's regime

About 30 people gathered in Prague's centre Friday to protest against the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad and present an improvised exhibition of photos of victims of the people's revolution in Syria.

Brussels: Pro-Assad protest

Brussels: Pro-Assad protest

250 people gathered for a pro-Assad demonstration in Brussels this weekend. The protest was an initiative of the Dutch and Belgian Syrian communities. (see video)

Germany: Two arrested for spying on Syrians

Germany: Two arrested for spying on Syrians

Via Expatica:

German police arrested two men in Berlin Tuesday accused of spying on opponents of the Syrian regime in raids involving some 70 officers, federal prosecutors said.

The suspects were identified only as 47-year-old German-Lebanese citizen Mahmoud El A. and 34-year-old Syrian national Akram O., the federal prosecutor's office said in a statement.

(source)

Syria: Syrian-German tells of defection from Assad's forces

Syria: Syrian-German tells of defection from Assad's forces

(youtube clip)

EU: Syrian embassies attacked by protestors

EU: Syrian embassies attacked by protestors

The Syrian embassy in London was attacked Saturday by a small group of angry protestors. Similar scenes played out in the past couple of days in Athens and Berlin.

Berlin: Syrian opposition activist attacked in his home

Berlin: Syrian opposition activist attacked in his home

Netherlands: Syrians file charges after threats

Netherlands: Syrians file charges after threats

Via RNW:

Syrian activists in the Netherlands have filed official complaints about threats made against them at last month’s Arab Film Festival in Rotterdam. Several men climbed up on the stage and made threats against opponents of the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Activist and film maker Rosh Abdelfatah, the organiser of the film festival, says he is sure the men were hired by the Syrian embassy in the Netherlands.

(source)

Berlin: Demonstrators storm Syrian embassy

Berlin: Demonstrators storm Syrian embassy

Gothenburg: Terrorist arrests related to Mohammed cartoons? (UPDATED)

Gothenburg: Terrorist arrests related to Mohammed cartoons?

Police in Gothenburg arrested four men Saturday, who supposedly planned to detonate a bomb in the city that day. The men are all Syrian family-members (SE): Two brothers (28 and 33 years old), their cousin (39) and their uncle (48). All four are married with children, and had come to Sweden about 20 years ago. The two brothers are highly educated, the other two run their own service company. On Fridays they all go together to the Gårdsten mosque.