AFGHANISTAN: AMERICAN VIGILANTES BRETT BENNETT, JONATHAN "JACK" IDEMA AND ED CARABALLO COURT APPEARANCE IN KABUL FOR ILLEGALLY DETAINING AND ABUSING SUSPECTS.

Record ID: 244578

  • Title: AFGHANISTAN: AMERICAN VIGILANTES BRETT BENNETT, JONATHAN "JACK" IDEMA AND ED CARABALLO COURT APPEARANCE IN KABUL FOR ILLEGALLY DETAINING AND ABUSING SUSPECTS.
  • Date: 8th September 2004
  • Summary: (W4) KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (SEPTEMBER 8, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. WS: OF NEWS CONFERENCE WITH EDWARD CARABALLO'S LAWYER ROBERT FOGELNEST AND JACK IDEMA'S LAWYER JOHN E. TIFFANY. 0.14 2. SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) FOGELNEST SAYING: "We met with the Chief Prosecutor, Abdul Fatah, and the saranwal assigned to prosecute the case, Mohamed Naim Dawarty. They advised us that, if requested to do so by the American ambassador, they would have no objection to the charges being withdrawn" 0.33 3. SCU: JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION. 0.42 4. SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) FOGELNEST SAYING: "The fact that the Afghan legal system is not yet fully developed and consistent with international standards of law and unable to handle a case of this magnitude is significant" 0.58 5. SCU: CAMERA OPERATOR. 1.01 (W4) KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (FILE) (REUTERS) 6. MV: SUSPECTS INCLUDING EDWARD CARABALLO (SITTING WITH CRUTCH) AND JACK IDEMA (STANDING) IN DOCKS. 1.06 7. SCU: JUDGE SPEAKING. 1.09 8. SCU: IDEMA SPEAKING. 1.14 9. VARIOUSMV/CU: OF VIDEOS BEING PLAYED IN COURT. (2 SHOTS) 1.22 10. CU: JUDGE WATCHING. 1.25 11. HAS/TRACK: IDEMA AND CARABELLO BEING LED OUT OF COURT. 1.37 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 23rd September 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: KABUL,AFGHANISTAN
  • Country: Afghanistan
  • Reuters ID: LVAC1O7L7AEF0OHMC2OOUAPVRLOV
  • Story Text: Lawyers in Kabul vigilante trial appeal to U.S.

    ambassador to intervene.



    Lawyers defending Americans on trial in Afghanistan
    for illegally detaining and abusing suspects in a private
    anti-terror war said on Wednesday (September 8, 2004) they had
    appealed to the U.S. ambassador to intervene to have the
    charges dropped.

    Jonathan "Jack" Idema, accused with fellow Americans
    Brett Bennett and Ed Caraballo of torture, kidnapping and
    running a private jail, faces maximum punishment of 20
    years in prison if convicted.

    Idema's lawyer John Edwards Tiffany and Caraballo's
    lawyer Robert Fogelnest said the trial was now in the hands
    of U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, to whom they had
    written on
    September 2 requesting the intervention.

    "We met with the Chief Prosecutor, Abdul Fatah, and the
    saranwal assigned to prosecute the case, Mohamed Naim
    Dawarty. They advised us that, if requested to do so by the
    American
    ambassador, they would have no objection to the charges
    being withdrawn," Fogelnest told reporters in Kabul.

    Former special forces soldier Idema has said his
    actions were sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Defense,
    the FBI and the Central Intelligence Agency and that they
    had denied links with him due to embarrassment over the
    prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq.

    Fogelnest said he would not disclose whether the
    contents of the letter included a deal to drop allegations
    of U.S. involvement, but said he had "every reason to
    believe" requests made in it would be honoured.

    A spokeswoman for the U.S. embassy said she could not comment as
    she was not aware of the facts but would look
    into the matter.

    The trial of the three Americans is due to resume onG
    Sunday if no intervention is made. But the lawyers
    questioned the ability of the Afghan courts to properly try
    the case.

    "The fact that the Afghan legal system is not yet fully
    developed and consistent with international standards of
    law and unable to handle a case of this magnitude is
    significant,"
    said Fogelnest.

    The lawyers provided journalists with videotapes shot
    by cameraman Caraballo, who was making a documentary about
    Idema's work, which will be used in defence against charges
    that the suspects entered Afghanistan illegally.

    The tapes showed the three men being greeted at Kabul
    airport by Kabul police chief Baba Jan and army officials.

    The video also showed the interrogation of a suspect
    named Ghulam Saki, who has claimed in court that he was
    tortured by Idema.

    Fogelnest said Ghulam Saki has never since been made
    available to the defence for questioning and appears to
    have been released.

    Idema and his colleagues were arrested on July 5 after
    a brief shootout in Kabul. Eight Afghan prisoners were
    found in the house.



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