Belgian court jails Sharia4Belgium members
The judge called the organisation "a terrorist group" and sentenced leader Fouad Belkacem to 12 years in jail.
Only eight of the accused appeared in today's trial in an Antwerp court
Verdicts are being handed down in the trial of 46 people accused of belonging to a group that sent jihadists to Syria - the largest such case in Belgium.
Prosecutors say the Sharia4Belgium organisation sent recruits to militant groups such as Islamic State (IS).
The judge called the organisation "a terrorist group" and sentenced leader Fouad Belkacem to 12 years in jail.
Another member, Jejoen Bontinck, got a suspended sentence. He had appeared in the trial as a prosecution witness.
Only seven of the accused were at the court for the ruling. Most others were said to be fighting, or dead, in Syria.
Officials say about 350 Belgians have gone to fight in Syria and Iraq, the highest number per capita in Europe. They estimate that 10% of the Belgians who have gone to fight in Syria had links to Sharia4Belgium.
European security agencies fear that jihadists who return from those countries could mount attacks on domestic targets.
