Italy: Tunisian terror convict kept at Guantanamo in 'inhumane' conditions freed

(AKI) - An Italian judge on Monday freed a Tunisian convicted of criminal association with terrorism, citing in mitigation the eight years he was held in "inhumane" conditions at the controversial US prison camp in Guantanamo Bay.

The judge in the northern Italian city of Milan sentenced Adel Ben Mabrouk to a two-year suspended prison sentence and ordered him to be released immediately. He accepted the public prosecutor's request that he take into consideration in sentencing Mabrouk the eight years he was held at the "inhumane" and "illegal" Guantanamo Bay prison for terror suspects.

Mabrouk, an immigrant, served a year in an Italian jail on terrorism charges, meaning he had already served nine years behind bars, the judge said.

He was delivered into Italian custody in November, 2009, together with another Guantanamo detainee, Riad Nasri.

Nasri, who was held at Guantanamo Bay between 2001 and 2009, was convicted of terrorism and assisting illegal immigration between 1997 and 2001.

Prosecutors said he was "the head of Tunisians in Afghanistan" and provided logistical support to Islamist fighters from Italy "sent to camps (in Afghanistan) where they were trained in the use of weapons and prepared for suicide operations".