Two main accused of Ramblas terror attacks sentenced to 46 and 53 years in prison

BarcelonaThe Spanish High Court has sentenced the two main defendants over the 17-A to 46 and 53 years in prison. The longest sentence, 53 years in prison, is for Mohamed Houli Chemlal, the survivor of the Alcanar explosion, and the 46-year sentence is for Driss Oukabir, who rented the van for the Rambla attack. According to the sentence, which was made public this afternoon and is over 1,000 pages long, the two are responsible for belonging to a terrorist organization, possession of explosives and will to cause great terrorist damage.

The court has added a request not made by the prosecution and has also convicted them of 29 crimes of injury by gross negligence for those injured in the Alcanar explosion. Houli Chemlal and Oukabir will have to compensate the 35 people affected by this explosion, which caused injuries and left the affected unfit for work. Of these, 13 are police officers and two are firefighters.

Although the victims wanted them to be sentenced for the 16 murders in the attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils, the court ruled it out. As for the third and last defendant, Saïd ben Iazza, who lent documents and a van to buy explosive materials, he was sentenced to 8 years in prison for collaborating with a terrorist organisation.

According to the sentence, the effective fulfillment of the 46 and 53 years of imprisonment of Houli Chemlal and Oukabir will not exceed 20 years. The penalties for each crime are as follows:

• 12 years' imprisonment for membership of a terrorist organisation
• 15 years' imprisonment for possession of explosives
• 12 years' imprisonment for wilful intent to cause major terrorist damage
• 29 offences of six months' imprisonment (14.5 years) for recklessly causing bodily injury

• 12 years' imprisonment for membership of a terrorist organisation
• 10 years' imprisonment for possession of explosives
• 10 years' imprisonment for wilful intent to cause major terrorist damage
• 29 offences of six months' imprisonment (14.5 years) for reckless injury

• 8 years' imprisonment for collaboration with a terrorist organisation