Five face death over diplomat
2008-08-31 17:23
Khartoum - Five Islamists, wearing shackles and religious dress, went on trial in Khartoum on Sunday over the killing of a US diplomat and his driver on charges that would see them hanged if found guilty.
The court sat for about 30 minutes amid a heavy presence of riot police and a highly charged atmosphere that saw the defendants spit at two Western female journalists while their supporters shouted "Down Down USA" and "Allah Akhbar."
John Granville, 33, who worked for the US Agency for International Development, and his 40-year-old Sudanese driver Abdel Rahman Abbas were shot dead in their car before dawn on New Year's Day.
His murder sent shockwaves through the sizeable Western community in Khartoum, a city usually considered one of the safest in Africa.
Religious fundamentalists
Before a packed courtroom, prosecutor Mohamed al-Mustafa described the defendants as religious fundamentalists and accused them of murder and weapons possession, saying they plotted to attack people celebrating the New Year.
Wearing traditional white gowns and religious caps, the bearded suspects chatted among themselves in the dock while the prosecutor was speaking.
Defence lawyer Adel Abdul Gani told AFP the court would meet again on September 11, when the investigator in the case would present his report.
He said the judge would only ask the defendants to enter a plea once the prosecutor has made his case.