BELGIUM: BELGIAN LAWYERS MEET TO DECIDE WHETHER TO PUT 18 SUSPECTS ON TRIAL FOR BELONGING TO THE GROUP ACCUSED OF MADRID AND CASABLANCA BOMBINGS

Record ID: 647013

  • Title: BELGIUM: BELGIAN LAWYERS MEET TO DECIDE WHETHER TO PUT 18 SUSPECTS ON TRIAL FOR BELONGING TO THE GROUP ACCUSED OF MADRID AND CASABLANCA BOMBINGS
  • Date: 29th August 2005
  • Summary: (W3) BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (AUGUST 29, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. VARIOUS OF THE LAW COURTS BUILDING (2 SHOTS) 0.06 2. SLV POLICE OUTSIDE COURT ROOM 0.11 3. SV WITNESS, MOUNED HAMID, ARRIVING AT COURTROOM; BEING SEARCHED BY POLICE AND GOING INTO COURTROOM 0.43 4. SV/SLV LAWYERS ENTERING COURT ROOM/ POLICE (2 SHOTS) 0.52 5. LAS LAWYERS WALKING IN THE CORRIDORS 1.00 6. SV LAWYERS LEAVING THE COURT ROOM FOR A BREAK 1.08 7. SV FILES AND ANOTHER LAWYER LEAVING FOR A BREAK 1.13 8. SV HAMID WALKING OUT (4 SHOTS) 2.04 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 13th September 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
  • Country: Belgium
  • Reuters ID: LVAAY12PZA0GZNA6CTZSCEGHDQ53
  • Story Text: Belgian lawyers meet to decide whether to put 18
    suspects on trial for belonging to the group accused of
    Madrid and Casablanca bombings.



    A Belgian court was convened on Monday (August 29, 2005)
    to decide whether to put 18 suspects on trial on charges of
    belonging to a group blamed for the Madrid and Casablanca
    bombings which killed more than 200 people. Security was
    tight at the Brussels law courts where a decision will be
    based on the findings of Examining Magistrate Daniel
    Fransen, whose investigation led to a series of arrests
    which began last year.

    The suspects face charges of belonging to a cell of the
    Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group (GICM) providing false
    papers and other logistical help to members elsewhere in
    Europe.

    The suspected head of the cell is Abdelkader Hakimi who
    is believed to have had contacts with people involved in
    the Casablanca and Madrid bombings which he denies.

    Fransen's investigation has already led to the arrest
    and extradition of Youssef Belhadj to Spain, where he was
    wanted on suspicion of being the al Qaeda spokesman who
    claimed responsibility for the Madrid bombings on a
    videotape in 2004.

    Known by its French acronym the GICM is listed by the
    United States as a terrorist group whose aim is to
    establish an Islamic state in Morocco and support al
    Qaeda's struggle against Western countries.

    Some of the GICM's members are suspects in the Madrid
    bombings that killed 190 people.

    The case of the 14 suspects would be Belgium's third
    prominent anti-terrorist trial since the September 11
    attacks led to a crackdown on Islamist militant networks in
    Western countries.

    It would also come under tough new laws in Belgium that
    explicitly criminalise terrorist activities.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register