An Italian court has acquitted three Egyptian men accused of plotting terror attacks: Italy acquits ‘terror plotters’.

Police held the three Egyptians in the port town of Anzio in October 2002, saying they found explosives, a gun and maps of alleged targets in their flat.

After the men’s acquittal, defence lawyer Giovanni Destito said: “In the court at least, justice is done”.

Police said at the time of their arrest they had found maps with Rome’s airport, an American war cemetery in Anzio and McDonald’s restaurant all highlighted.

The three, aged between 30 and 45, were charged with illegal possession of weapons and “subversive association aimed at international terrorism”, the latter introduced after 11 September attacks.

The men - two of whom were fishermen and the other a street vendor - denied the charges, saying they had used the explosives for fishing.

The high-security court acquitted the three men after deliberating for three hours. A detailed explanation of the ruling will be given at a later date.

Mr Destito said he hoped the men would get compensation for the year-and-a-half they had spent in jail.

And two days ago, the Italian courts acquitted 12 other terror suspects, including some accused of planning to attack the US embassy in Rome, despite evidence like this:

Four of the Moroccans were detained in a raid on a flat in the Tor Bella Monaca area in the south of the Italian capital.

Police also found maps marking the capital’s water supply network, as well as a hoard of false documentation and Islamic extremist propaganda.

They also discovered two holes - the biggest measuring 30 by 50cm (12 by 20 inches) - in an underground tunnel adjacent to the US embassy, raising suspicion the suspects intended to carry out an attack.

In a separate case, the court also acquitted a Pakistani, a Tunisian and an Algerian, who were charged with forming a terrorist cell based around al-Harmini mosque in Rome.