EU Summit "Rioter" Sentence Doubled

Sentence Doubled for
Gothenburg Rioter
Thursday, 2001-09-13
An appeals court in the western
Swedish city of Gothenburg has
more than doubled the sentence of a
20 year old German convicted of
violent rioting during the European
Union summit in the city in June.

The court sentenced the German to
16 months in prison, up from the six
months he was given after pleading
guilty during his initial trial earlier this
summer. He also will be expelled
from the country after serving his
sentence and banned from
re-entering Sweden for 10 years.

The German, who was shot in the leg
by police during rioting, asked for a
reduced sentence, saying he threw
stones at police but had not intended
to participate in a planned and
organized riot. But the appeals court
sided with prosecutors who asked for
a tougher verdict.