Sentence doubled for EU Summit "Rioter"

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.