Aljazeera demands speedy Alouni trial

[USAcommitteeX]

Aljazeera has demanded a speedy trial for its star television reporter Taysir Alouni saying it had confidence in the fairness of Spanish justice.



"We hope the trial (of Taysir Alouni) will get under way as soon as possible. We have full confidence in the integrity of Spanish justice," spokesman Jihad Balout said in the Qatari capital Doha on Wednesday.



Insisting that Alouni is innocent, Aljazeera has accused the United States and Israel of inciting Spain to incriminate him.



Earlier in the day Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon in Madrid formally charged 35 men, including al-Qaida leader Usama bin Ladin and Alouni, with involvement in the September 11 attacks.



As part of his investigation into an al-Qaida cell operating in Spain, High Court Judge Baltasar Garzon in a 700-page indictment on Wednesday called for Interpol to arrest bin Ladin and extradite him to Spain. He said there was evidence of the 9/11 plot being hatched in Spain.



Spain has already arrested a number of suspects it says were involved in the attacks. Garzon said they should remain in jail. US-led forces have not found bin Ladin since the attacks killed more than 3,000 people.



Innocent



Among those charged was Alouni who interviewed bin Ladin shortly after September 11. Syrian-born Alouni was arrested on 5 September and was ordered to remain in prison without bail, pending trial.




Garzon says there is evidence of
9/11 plot being hatched in Spain


Our correspondent in Madrid said Garzon reserved 26 pages out of the 700 to Alouni in which he accused him of having contacts, transporting money and assisting individuals suspected of being members of al-Qaida.



The judge emphasised that Alouni did not participate in “terrorist” actions. But he accused him of using his journalistic work to move money and assist an individual to obtain a residency permit, the correspondent said.



An Algerian lawyer in London Saad Jabbar told Aljazeera that the charges against Alouni had no solid basis.



Also charged was Imad Eddim Barakat Yarkas, alias Abu Dahdah, suspected by authorities of heading an al-Qaida cell in Spain. He has already been detained by authorities.



Garzon, who came to international attention with a failed attempt to extradite and try former Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet, said all of the accused already held in Spain would have to testify again on 24 September.