Two brothers of uncertain
nationality arrested at Genoa airport on December 31 have plea
bargained a one year, four month sentence each for carrying fake
papers, sources said Thursday.
Karim and Shahad El Kunani were arrested on New Year's Eve
while trying to board a flight to London with fake Belgian
papers.
A preliminary hearings judge in January ruled the brothers
were a flight risk and must stay in jail pending trial based on
were "well-founded suspicions" they might belong to an
international terrorist cell. This was based on the fact they
were carrying 1,000 euros in cash each, the ease with
which they got fake papers, and the fact they had photos of
weapons and scenes of war on their cellphones.
However investigators couldn't find any evidence they are
terrorists, so the brothers only had to answer fake document
charges.
The pair gave different versions of why and how they
reached Genoa - including that they are Syrian refugees wanting
to convert to Catholicism and to reach their brother in London.
They are to remain behind bars, prosecution sources said.
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