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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Jordanian Islamist MP to defend al-Qaeda suspects |
| 2005-08-11 |
| A Jordanian Islamist legislator has volunteered to defend 17 people arrested on charges of raising funds for the al-Qaida network. Zuheir Abul Ragheb told United Press International Thursday that his Islamic Action Front Party is checking the cases of the 17 suspects to determine whether they are victims of injustice or whether they committed acts that undermined state security and stability. "I am ready to defend the members of the groups on condition that they were not involved in acts that jeopardize public security or political stability and did not plan to attack Jordanian employees, be they civilian or military," Abul Ragheb said. He denounced authorities for arresting the suspects in night raids on their homes, charging that such methods violate the law. Jordanian authorities said they arrested the suspects, whose ages range between 20 and 25, in two Amman suburbs known to be hotbeds for Muslim fundamentalist groups. They were referred to the state security court for trial on charges of raising funds for al-Qaida, undermining public security and planning to carry out terrorist attacks against Jordanian intelligence agents and American nationals residing in Jordan. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |