Al-Jazeera journo in dock
2005-05-16 12:23
Madrid - A reporter for the Arabic-language television network al-Jazeera took the stand on Monday at his trial on charges of belonging to an al-Qaeda cell in Spain.
Tayssir Alouni, 50, a war correspondent for al-Jazeera who interviewed Osama bin Laden shortly after the September 11 2001, attacks, is among 24 suspects on trial in Europe's biggest court case against radical groups with alleged ties to the al-Qaeda terror network.
Three of the suspects are accused specifically of using Spain as a staging ground to help plan the suicide airliner attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon. Alouni, a Syrian-born Spaniard, is among the other 21, accused of terrorism, weapons possession or other offences but not September 11 planning.
Spanish investigative magistrate Baltasar Garzon says that while living in the southern Spanish city of Granada, Alouni formed a radical Muslim indoctrination unit which from 1995 on was very close to a Spanish al-Qaeda cell led by Syrian-born Imad Yarkas, who is also on trial here.
Prosecutor Pedro Rubira says Yarkas used trips that Alouni made as a reporter to Afghanistan to send money to al-Qaeda members.
Rubira also says Alouni had close ties to Mamoun Darkanzali, a suspected al-Qaeda member who was allegedly close to the Hamburg, Germany cell that plotted and staged the September 11 attacks. Darkanzali is fighting extradition to Spain, where he was indicted by Garzon in September 2003 along with 34 other people, including Alouni and Yarkas.
- AP