Jordan Times
Tuesday, June 6, 2006
Defendants ask to present new written testimonies
By Rana Husseini
AMMAN — Five men charged with harming Jordan’s relations with another country and putting its security at risk, pleaded not guilty at their opening trial in the State Security Court on Monday.
The charge sheet identified the men as Khalil Eid, 25, Mahmoud Mohammad, 26, Yousef Abdullah, 22, Ayman Khalid, 27, and Jamil Abed, 25. The defendants informed the tribunal during yesterday’s session that their confessions were extracted under duress and they wished to present new written testimonies.
The court agreed to their request and adjourned the session until Monday.
In February 2006, the defendants decided to go to Iraq and fight the Americans, the charge sheet said
The group raised JD490 and travelled to Syria to try and infiltrate into Iraq from there but were unable to cross the border and returned to Jordan, according to court documents.
The group also labelled Arab regimes as apostates because “they do not rule by God’s teachings and their constitutions are drafted by the American and British governments.”
“The defendants’ actions subjected Jordan to hostile acts and undermined its relations with foreign countries,” the prosecution charge sheet said.
The men were arrested in March 2006 before being able to carry out any of their alleged plans.