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Jordan: Defence lawyers ask for acquittal in conspiracy trial
 Two defence lawyers urged the State Security Court (SSC) on Wednesday to acquit their clients of charges of plotting activities that would undermine the Kingdom's relations with other countries. Defence lawyers Hussein Masri and Yousef Udwan claimed that their clients Basil M., 29, and Mohammad I., 25, were subjected to torture and duress by the authorities to confess to something they did not plot. The defendants are also charged with possessing illegal weapons (machineguns), and entering the Kingdom illegally while carrying the weapons.
| No doubt they were tortured into carrying them... |
The prosecution also failed to present any evidence to connect our clients with the charges, the defence lawyers told the court.
"Wudn't us."
"Nope. Wudn't us." |
The lawyers said the prosecutor was unable to provide the court with the illegal weapons that allegedly were owned by our clients.
"Not our illegal weapons."
"Nope. Not ours." |
Other defendants standing trial on the same charges include Faris S., 32, Majdi K., 21, Mohammad J., 22, Mohammad M., 29, Munem I., 31, Raed A., 33, Raouf M., 22, and Qassem M., 36. Five others are being tried in absentia for the same charges. They were identified as Ahmad A., Hussein F., Khaldoun F., Rami A., and Walid K. The defendants first met each other at a mosque and discussed the need to fight Americans in Iraq, according to the charge sheet.
| "Hrarrr! Kill the infidels!" |
In June 2005, some of the defendants decided to enter Syria illegally, then go fight in Iraq. Some of them crossed into Syria carrying machineguns and stayed at a farm there, the charge sheet added.
"Say! Is that a cow?"
[KERBLAM!] "No. It's beef." |
The men had an argument and returned to Jordan, where the authorities apprehended them before they carried out any of their alleged plans.
"You hadda shoot that cow!"
"How wuz I to know it was somebody's pet?"
"Uhhh... Hello, officer. Nice weather we're having!"
"Drop the roscoes and step away witcher hands up!" |
The tribunal adjourned the trial indefinitely to issue a verdict. At the end of the session, the defendants informed the press that 15 men standing trial at the SSC on charges of inciting the 2002 Maan riots, plan to stage a hunger strike on Saturday. They asked us to inform the press that they plan to start the hunger strike on Saturday in protest against the SSC's delay in issuing a verdict in their case, one of the defendant said. The tribunal adjourned the trial indefinitely on July 31, 2005 to issue a verdict.
| "Who? Oh. Them. Nope. Still thinkin' about it. Call again next month." |
When asked by The Jordan Times about the expected date to issue a verdict in the case, a senior judicial source said, no date has been set yet.
| "We'll get around to it." |
The 15 men are part of a group of 108 standing trial at the SSC on charges of possessing automatic weapons and unlicensed guns, and plotting subversive acts by using flammable substances. Other charges include illegal public assembly and importing weapons with the intention of using them illegally.
Posted by: Fred 2006-01-26 |
