Europe Considers Status of Militants From Church
"It's very complex," a senior European diplomat said today. "The 13 all have different backgrounds, and the legal experts can't treat them as a package."

Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece are expected to take in the men, whom Israel deemed the greatest security risks among the more than 100 Palestinians who had been holed up in the shrine at the site where Christians believe Jesus was born.

Because the men have not been charged with terrorist acts in Israel and are accused of no crime in Europe, there are no legal grounds for holding them as prisoners. But they probably will not be allowed complete freedom of movement, either.

"The most logical status is free but under close political scrutiny," the European diplomat said. Yet what that means in practical terms remains unclear.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/13/international/europe/13EXIL.html