| Submit your comments on this article |
| Europe |
| 4 Sweden Terror Suspects Said to Murder |
| 2004-04-24 |
| Prosecutors believe four suspected terrorists arrested this week have committed murders and destruction aimed at spreading fear in Iraq, according to court documents released Friday. Swedish radio reported that the three Iraqis and one Swede of Lebanese origin were involved in Feb. 1 suicide bombings in Irbil, Iraq, that killed 109 people. Authorities would not confirm the report. Court documents released Friday identified them as Ferman Abdulla, Ali Berzengi and Shabo Shabab of Iraq, and Lebanese-born Bilal Ramadan. They were arrested in police raids Monday and ordered held Friday for a week on suspicions of terrorism. The court documents showed prosecutors accuse them of crimes involving "murder and devastation endangering to the public" since December. The crimes were "directed at the state of Iraq and were aimed at striking grave terror into a population," prosecutor Agnetha Hilding Qvarnstroem said in the documents. All four denied the allegations. Hilding Qvarnstroem did not answer telephone calls seeking comment Friday. Swedish security police declined to comment on the report, although its officials earlier said the four were tied to Islamic terror groups working outside of Europe. A group called Jaish Ansar al-Sunna claimed it was behind the Irbil bombings. The group has been linked to Ansar al-Islam, a Kurdish extremist organization. Citing Norwegian authorities, Swedish Radio said one of the suspects had ties to Ansar al-Islam, which is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and is suspected of links to al-Qaida. Norwegian security police confirmed one of the suspects had lived in Norway but would not give any more details. The court imposed a gag order on defense attorneys in the case, but Berzengi's lawyer, Peter Mutvei, said his client maintained his innocence. "He says he's counting on being released eventually. It will become clear that he is innocent," Mutvei said. Judge Runar Viksten said there were "reasonable grounds" to detain the suspects — the lowest level of suspicion under Swedish law and means the suspects are typically released unless prosecutors can provide more proof at the next detention hearing. |
| Posted by:Fred |