Thailand jails Swedish bomb suspect

[webfact]

Thailand jails Swedish bomb suspect

BANGKOK, September 18, 2013 (AFP) - Thailand on Wednesday sentenced a Swedish citizen of Lebanese origin to two years and eight months in prison for possession of materials that could be used to make a bomb.

Atris Hussein, 49, was arrested in January last year after a tip-off from Israel's secret services that Hezbollah members planned to attack Thailand during the New Year.

He was convicted for possessing about 2,800 kilos (2.8 tonnes) of ammonium nitrate, which is commonly used in agriculture but when mixed with other substances can make a bomb. Its possession requires a permit in Thailand.

"The court found him guilty of illegal armament possession and sentenced him to four years in jail, but due to his useful testimony during the investigation and hearing his sentence is reduced by one-third to two years and eight months," a judge said.

The court said investigators could not prove Hussein had links with Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite Muslim group that is blacklisted as a terrorist organisation by Washington.

Hussein, who had faced a maximum of five years in jail, denied the charges and the alleged links to Hezbollah.

Before his arrest, the United States had warned of a "serious" threat of a terrorist attack on tourist areas in Bangkok.

A smiling Hussein hugged his wife and daughter after the ruling.

Asked how he felt, he replied: "I'm happy".

His lawyer Wittaya Buranasin said the defence would appeal.

"The investigation process should follow the law. Hussein himself said clearly he did not have a lawyer present when he was questioned," Wittaya said.

In a separate case, two Iranian men were last month sentenced to between 15 years and life for their parts in a botched bomb plot last year in Bangkok that ended with one of them having his legs blown off.

The pair were among five Iranians suspected of involvement in blasts that Israel linked to a 2012 spate of attacks on its diplomats around the world.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-09-18

[dcutman]

Jesus! 2800 kgs of ammonium nitrate, is 500kgs more than what was used in the Oklahoma City bombing. I can understand his happiness, the sentence of 2.8 years is rather ridiculous.

Edited September 18, 2013 by dcutman

[soi41]

Another fine member from the religion of peace!

[webfact]

Lebanese jailed for 2 years 8 months for illegal possessing bomb materials
By English News



BANGKOK, Sept 18 - A Lebanese-Swedish man was sentenced to two years and eight months jail by Thailand's Criminal Court today for illegally possessing bomb-making substances found in a warehouse in Bangkok’s suburban province of Samut Sakhon.

The court found Atris Hussein, 49, guilty but ruled that there was insufficient evidence to link him with the Hezbollah militants as charged by the Thai authorities.

Hussein was arrested early last year after the authorities raided a warehouse he rented, seizing more than 2,800 kilogrammes of liquid ammonium nitrate and other materials that could be used to produce explosives.

The court found him guilty but reduced the four-year jail term to two years and eight months thanks to his useful testimony.(MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-09-18

[clockman]

I wonder how much he paid these so called leaders of law and justice?

[sms747]

Why does it say a Swede rather than a Muslim?

[Katipo]

Damn these 'Swedes' and their violent Norse Gods!

[h90]

Why does it say a Swede rather than a Muslim?

For any reason telling Muslim would be racist, but telling Swede is political correct....

Don't ask me why...I don't know....Many European newspaper write the national of criminals only if they are European. If no Nationality than it is a foreigner.....Thailand isn't that far yet but it begins..

[lee b]

Well done Thailand, but should of sent him down for a longer period of time...

[Lakegeneve]

Why does it say a Swede rather than a Muslim?

For any reason telling Muslim would be racist, but telling Swede is political correct....

Don't ask me why...I don't know....Many European newspaper write the national of criminals only if they are European. If no Nationality than it is a foreigner.....Thailand isn't that far yet but it begins..

Mmm, I think you need to look up the definition of racism sms747! You are displaying some blatant ignorance there if you think that identifying a persons religion would be racist.

h90, Is it not the norm for media world wide to report the nationality of any foreigner convicted ? Religion only comes into play if that is relevant to the case as in a case of sectarian violence. Is his religion relevant in this case more so than his alleged political affiliations which the court reportedly did not accept? I don't know the facts of the case, do you?

If an Indian - a country with many incidents of sectarian violence - is convicted of a similar offence do you immediately expect the media to report if s/he was a muslim, a hindu, a buddhist, a christian, a Sikh or a jaine?

It is definitely the case that the Thai govt. put significant energy into ensuring that sensationalized and numerous reporting of these incidents didn't escalate for fear that it would harm tourist perceptions. Similarly, they nearly tripped over themselves to quickly recognise a Palestine state in the months after this incident. However, that was perhaps the culmination of what had been an ongoing debate in DFA & the govt for some time.

[bigwilly]

I would hope the next warehouse he rents is close to the Criminal Court!

2.8 tonnes is enough to clear a city block or 2.

BW.

[Baerboxer]

Another fine member from the religion of peace!

Another nutter who should be locked up for longer. Regardless of whatever religion he claims to follow.

[julemanden]

They should have keept him forever!!!

[Tchooptip]

Another fine member from the religion of peace!

But I love the tittle: jails "Swedish" bomb suspect

[Tchooptip]

Not so much of a Viking look

[RickBradford]

Was he fined 1000 baht as well, I wonder?

[Andre0720]

"Thailand on Wednesday sentenced a Swedish citizen of Lebanese origin "

This might be as 'politically correct' as it can get..

[TackyToo]

Jesus! 2800 kgs of ammonium nitrate, is 500kgs more than what was used in the Oklahoma City bombing. I can understand his happiness, the sentence of 2.8 years is rather ridiculous.

Thailand on Wednesday sentenced a Swedish citizen of Lebanese origin to two years and eight months in prison for possession of (2.8 tons) materials that could be used to make a bomb.

I believe 28 grams of Ganja would lead to a sentence that would make him absent from a couple more Ramadan celebrations.

[dansan]

Why does it say a Swede rather than a Muslim?

For any reason telling Muslim would be racist, but telling Swede is political correct....

Don't ask me why...I don't know....Many European newspaper write the national of criminals only if they are European. If no Nationality than it is a foreigner.....Thailand isn't that far yet but it begins..

It says "Swede" rather than "Muslim" as they are talking about Nationality rather than Religion. Surely you can differentiate between the two.

[ChoakMyDee]

"In a separate case, two Iranian men were last month sentenced to between 15 years and life for their parts in a botched bomb plot last year in Bangkok that ended with one of them having his legs blown off."

...that was probably the funniest video I've ever seen; the terrorist lying on a Bangkok street, legless, in a pool of blood, writhing in agony while nearby Thais told him to f off and refused to help him.

Edited September 18, 2013 by ChoakMyDee

[phitsanulokjohn]

I've heard they do a nice Smor-gas-bord in the Bangkok Hilton hell hole.

[bigbamboo]

"In a separate case, two Iranian men were last month sentenced to between 15 years and life for their parts in a botched bomb plot last year in Bangkok that ended with one of them having his legs blown off."

...that was probably the funniest video I've ever seen; the terrorist lying on a Bangkok street, legless, in a pool of blood, writhing in agony while nearby Thais told him to f off and refused to help him.

Instant karma.

[marcusd]

Wow!! Shady a truly swedish name...NOT!!

Sent from my GT-N7000B using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Bluespunk]

Why does it say a Swede rather than a Muslim?

Because he's Swedish.

[Bluespunk]

"Thailand jails Swedish bomb suspect"

If he's been gaoled then I'm thinking he's no longer a "suspect".

[ChoakMyDee]

"In a separate case, two Iranian men were last month sentenced to between 15 years and life for their parts in a botched bomb plot last year in Bangkok that ended with one of them having his legs blown off."

...that was probably the funniest video I've ever seen; the terrorist lying on a Bangkok street, legless, in a pool of blood, writhing in agony while nearby Thais told him to f off and refused to help him.

Instant karma.

Here's the video link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCj1XzFEOkU

[PhuketAmerican]

Thai muslims I know are horrified to hear this kind of thing and ask me why "Muslim too crazy sometime" in other countries, genuinely embarrassed and stress that "Muslim in Thai not same". Before anyone starts off about the situation in the Deep South those people are not even ethnically or linguistically Thai.

[Time Traveller]

Well done Thailand, but should of sent him down for a longer period of time...

Are you kidding? Thailand is a joke. He had almost 3 tonnes of bomb making materials and gets a couple of years? If you say something or write something on a web forum which is considered Lese Majeste and you get 15 years. Clearly Thailand is light years away from common sense in sentences for crimes.

I can only guess that after his 2 yrs and eight mnths that he get's handed over to the americans for a much longer sentence.

[KuhnPaen]

"In a separate case, two Iranian men were last month sentenced to between 15 years and life for their parts in a botched bomb plot last year in Bangkok that ended with one of them having his legs blown off."

...that was probably the funniest video I've ever seen; the terrorist lying on a Bangkok street, legless, in a pool of blood, writhing in agony while nearby Thais told him to f off and refused to help him.

Really? Funnier than "Grumpy Cat"?

You're dark.

[gk10002000]

You know, it gets pretty tiresome to read stories about people that have passports from other countries than their origins, but later are shown to be arabs or muslims. In this case Sweden. In many cases they have been French.