Tunisia jails 8 for terrorism links - lawyer

TUNIS, Nov 7 (Reuters) - A Tunisian court has sentenced eight men to up to 12 years in jail on charges of belonging to a terrorist cell, a defence lawyer said on Saturday.

Three received 12-year terms and five were imprisoned for between three and six years, Anouar Kousri told Reuters.

Kousri said the defendants were convicted of belonging to a terrorist group and helping to provide it with weapons. He did not name the group.

Government officials were not immediately available to comment.

Lawyers say about 2,000 people have been arrested since 2003 on terrorism charges, including recruiting fighters for the Iraqi insurgency. The Justice Ministry says the number does not exceed 400. (Reporting by Tarek Amara; Editing by Charles Dick)