Brussels : Belgium’s biggest terrorism trial Monday resumed with the prosecution pushing for maximum sentences for the 47 men accused of plotting to overthrow Western democracies through terrorist acts.
The trial, which started in September, is taking place in Antwerp, Xinhua reported.
It centres on members of an Islamic group, Sharia4Belgium, who are accused of plotting against Western societies, and also of supporting acts of violence in Syria.
The prosecutor, Ann Fransen, is pushing for the maximum sentence of 15 years for the leaders of the operation, including the head of the group, Fouad Belkacem, as well as custodial sentences of four years for the other accused.
The defence team of Belkacem had previously denied that he was responsible for encouraging young men to take up militant action in Syria. It was claimed Sharia4Belgium was an organisation aimed at civil disobedience, rather than terrorism.
The prosecution has rejected such claims.
Fransen is arguing that Sharia4Belgium is indeed a terrorist organization, and its members therefore deserve the highest penalty. The group is currently not on any proscribed list in Belgium.
Belgian authorities started investigating Sharia4Belgium in February 2012, and resulted in 48 raids in Antwerp and various Brussels locations in April 2013, with several arrests.
Only nine of the accused are present at the trial in Antwerp, which began Sep 29. The rest are believed to be fighting in Syria, or, in some cases, deceased.