Monday, August 24, 2009

DTN News: Egypt Court Postpones Trial Of Hezbollah Cell To Oct. 24

DTN News: Egypt Court Postpones Trial Of Hezbollah Cell To Oct. 24 *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) CAIRO, Egypt - August 24, 2009: The Egyptian Supreme Court of Emergency State Security decided on Sunday to postpone to October 24 the trial of 26 men suspected of links with Lebanese Shiite armed group Hezbollah, local Nile TV reported. Suspects accused of plotting attacks on behalf of Lebanon's Hezbollah group stand behind bars during the first day of their trial in New Cairo, August 23, 2009. Egypt began the trial on Sunday of 26 men suspected of links with Lebanon's Hezbollah and who face charges that include planning attacks inside Egypt. The charges against the 26, read out in the emergency state security court, included giving information to a foreign organisation, planning attacks inside Egypt on tourist sites and the Suez Canal and possession of explosive material. The delay will allow the defendants' lawyers more time to review the cases, according to Nile TV. These suspected men are accused of carrying out acts of terrorism against shipping in the Suez Canal and sending operatives to Gaza to help militant groups there and spying for foreign groups. The arrested included 18 Egyptians, five Palestinians, two Lebanese and one Sudanese. Earlier in April, Egypt arrested 49 men for allegedly being Hezbollah agents, accusing them of planning hostile operations in Egypt. Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Shiite group, has been at odds with Egypt, the Sunni-dominated country, since the 22-day Gaza war that ended in January, for which Hezbollah accused Egypt of collaborating with Israel in closing its Rafah border crossing, Gaza's sole gateway that bypasses the Jewish state.

No comments: