Judges acquitted 20 Islamic terror suspects yesterday of conspiring to blow up the court that is the nerve center of the country’s terror investigations, but convicted them of lesser offenses. The National Court found 18 of the 20 suspects guilty of belonging to a terrorist organization, and two others of collaborating with the group. Their sentences ranged from five to 14 years in prison. Police exposed the plot in October 2004, based on information from an informant. It alarmed Spaniards still reeling from the Madrid commuter train bombings earlier that year. That massacre by Islamic militants killed 191 people and wounded more than 1,800 wounded.

Meanwhile in Asia, the suspected local leader of a Southeast Asian terrorist network, who allegedly plotted to crash a plane into Singapore’s airport, escaped yesterday from a detention center, authorities said. Mas Selamat Kastari, said to be commander of the Jemaah Islamiyah militant group’s Singapore arm, was allegedly involved in plans about seven years ago to attack Singapore targets including the American Embassy, the American Club, and government buildings.