The defendant seeks reconciliation beneficiaries’ testimony

The Blind’s case trial postponed

The defendant seeks reconciliation beneficiaries’ testimony

El Khabar, 18 march 2007

Algiers Criminal Court postponed yesterday the Blind’s- thanks to whom security services could dismantle the Armed Islamist Group(GIA)-, trial to the next criminal session, on the request of the defendants of some indicted people, on the ground that the Blind’s group benefited from release in the framework of the national reconciliation while others are still imprisoned despite charges similarity.
Before the hearing, it could clearly appear that the trial was not to take place, as a defendant lawyer could not get in touch with his imprisoned client. Whereas Mr. Mohamed Bouchachi requested to get full knowledge about lawsuit extinguishment verdicts from which eleven prisoners, belonging to the blind Hocine Kobi alias “Mussâb” group, benefited.
Mr. Bouchachi wondered about the reasons of the detention of some prisoners who appeared yesterday before the judge, while others benefited from a release by virtue of the national reconciliation. He asked for their notice to attend the trial as witness, as well as to get acquainted with the release verdicts issued last year. As for the general prosecutor, he kept attached to the convening of the trial. Yet the judge seemed convinced with defence justifications.
In this respect, the judge stated, “The defendants were not acquainted with lawsuit extinguishment, their request is fully legitimate… there is a relationship between the lawsuit extinguishment beneficiaries and the prisoners. Their presence in the hearing is a necessity”. He further added, “There is a victim of abduction by the indicted who can recognize them, her attendance is indispensable for the trial”.

2007-03-18
By Hamid Yes/ Translated by N. K