Three young men sentenced after riots in Paris suburb

Three young men were sentenced Monday to eight months in jail, including six months suspended, after the fourth night of riots in Paris suburb protesting the death of two teenagers trying to escape police on Thursday, French news channel TF1 reported.

The three adults, between 25 and 27, were accused of "intended violence in mass with arms" and launching projectiles at policemen.

They were among the thirteen arrested Friday as hundreds of youths clashed with police on Thursday and Friday nights, throwing petrol bombs and set at least 15 cars on fire in the streets of Clichy-sous-Bois, northeast of Paris, where two local teenagers, Ziad, aged 17, and Banou, 15, were electrocuted Thursday while they were running away from police.

Nine were arrested overnight Saturday and eleven were held on Monday after the fourth day of violence in which eight cars and 16 rubbish bins were torched, departmental security spokesman Jean- Luc Sidot said.

Six police officers were slightly injured after being hit by projectiles.

The local public prosecutor said the two boys had wrongly thought they were being chased by police. It is based on questioning of a 21-year-old witness who survived the electrocution.

The families of the two victims refused to meet French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, who was to receive them on Monday and said to have had a favorable discussion with French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin.

Source: Xinhua