Dutch prosecutors demand long sentences for LTTE fundraisers
September 28, 2011 07:51 am
Dutch prosecutors have demanded sentences ranging from 10 to 16 years for five ethnic Tamils accused of raising millions of euros (dollars) in the Netherlands to finance the Tamil Tigers’ fight for an independent homeland in Sri Lanka.
Prosecutors accuse the men, all naturalized Dutch citizens, of extorting cash from Tamils living in the Netherlands, running illegal lotteries and laundering money.
The Tamil Tigers, defeated in May 2009 after a 26-year struggle, are considered in Europe a terrorist organization.
Prosecutors told The Hague District Court the men continued to raise money even after the war ended. They said millions of euros were raised in part to fund suicide attacks.
The sentence demands are considered long by Dutch standards, AP reports.
