Brave Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 German Court Acquits 9/11 Terror Suspect By GEIR MOULSON, Associated Press Writer HAMBURG, Germany - A Hamburg court on Thursday acquitted a Moroccan man of helping the Sept. 11 hijackers after rejecting a dramatic last-minute motion for new evidence by a lawyer for relatives of American victims of the attacks. Abdelghani Mzoudi was cleared of more than 3,000 counts of accessory to murder and charges of belonging to a terrorist organization, capping weeks of wrangling as prosecutors introduced new witnesses and testimony to try to salvage their case in only the second trial anywhere of a Sept. 11 suspect. Presiding Judge Klaus Ruehle said the five-judge court — which freed Mzoudi in December on surprise evidence that suggested he had no knowledge of the plot to attack the United States — had to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Mr. Mzoudi, you have been acquitted and this may be a relief to you, but it is no reason for joy," said Ruehle, turning to Mzoudi on the defendant's bench. "You were acquitted not because the court is convinced of your innocence, but because the evidence was not enough to convict you." Prosecutors had sought the maximum 15 years in prison. Last February, similar evidence secured the maximum sentence on the same charges against Mzoudi's friend Mounir el Motassadeq — the world's first Sept. 11 conviction. Prosecutors alleged that Mzoudi provided logistical support to the Hamburg cell under lead hijacker Mohamed Atta, helping with financial transactions and arranging housing for members to evade authorities' attention. Mzoudi spent time at a terrorist camp in Afghanistan (news - web sites) in 2000. Mzoudi's lawyers denied the charges, saying that while their client was friends with many of the Sept. 11 principals, he knew nothing of the plot to attack the United States. Ruehle acknowledged that some might be "bitter" about the outcome. "We know the horror of international terrorism is far from overcome, but this trial was exclusively about the guilt of the defendant," he said in explaining the verdict. The acquittal came after the court rejected a last-ditch motion from a lawyer for relatives of American victims of the attacks. Lawyer Andreas Schulz said he had "new information" — apparently incriminating Mzoudi — from the U.S. Department of Justice (news - web sites), but was "not authorized" to tell the court what it was. His motion urged the court to again ask U.S. authorities for testimony by Ramzi Binalshibh, a Yemeni believed to be the Hamburg cell's key contact with al-Qaida, saying there were signs recently that they might release the information. U.S. authorities repeatedly refused access to the interrogation transcripts or Binalshibh himself, who has been in secret U.S. custody since his capture in Pakistan on the one-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Rejecting the motion, Ruehle said he saw no evidence anything had changed. "U.S. authorities are following this trial closely and would immediately inform those involved if they planned to allow new evidence," Ruehle said. He said he understood wanting to keep evidence secret in the fight against terrorism, but "this loss of evidence cannot go against the defendant," he said. The court ordered Mzoudi freed Dec. 11 after receiving a statement that said the only people in Hamburg who knew of the plot were hijackers Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi and Ziad Jarrah as well as Binalshibh. The court — which said the statement's unnamed source appeared to be Binalshibh — decided it no longer had sufficient grounds to keep Mzoudi behind bars. It said there was no way to cross-examine the Yemeni so it had to take the statement at face value. El Motassadeq's lawyers also focused on Binalshibh last week in seeking a retrial, telling a federal appeals court that he was denied a fair trial in Hamburg because Binalshibh did not testify. A ruling is expected in March. The Mzoudi verdict was originally scheduled Jan. 22, but prosecutors secured a last-minute delay to allow testimony by a man claiming to be a former Iranian intelligence agent who implicated Mzoudi in the attacks. The witness, identified by the alias Hamid Reza Zakeri, told German investigators he had information that Mzoudi directly took part in the Sept. 11 plot, channeling information to others involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 Wait wait...if you're an accessory to 3,000 murders in Germany the MAX is 15 years? I mean, I knew murderers were getting out in like 3 in Briitain, especially if they were under 18, but is all of Europe insane? The death penalty opponents usually say the support life in prison, but this is where this leads. Being soft on evil ones in all facets of sentencing and incarceration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funkyalligator Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 Just give me 6 hours alone with this guy and he will tell you whatever you want.....of course he might be beging for death afterwards but hey thats his fault... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 Abdelghani Mzoudi was cleared of more than 3,000 counts of accessory to murder ... Prosecutors had sought the maximum 15 years in prison. :doh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 Did we really expect different from such a leftist, socialist society? I mean, that guy has rights to, you know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OURYEAR#56 Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 Ironically this is the same country we depend on for intelligence....shows how smart we are....or how dumb the American public is to believe Germany and France really gave a rat about us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OURYEAR#56 Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 Wasn't it conservative Bush that said he acted on German and French intelligence when deciding to bully Iraq. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 I thought it was British intel, OY56 Plus, I didn't realize freeing people was "bullying." Seems like the real bully was Hussein and his sons. Also, since when did Americans believe Germany and France gave a rat's behind about us? Do you like just making up 'facts" to feed whatever your points are, or do you actually think you're hewing to some sort of truth with these statements? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redman Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 I too fixated on the 15 years max. Ridiculous. If a country is too timid to express its moral outrage at heinous acts via such things as stiff criminal punishments, then it doesn't deserve my respect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy-the-Greek Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 Originally posted by redman I too fixated on the 15 years max. Ridiculous. I too thought the same thing. Wish there was a real star chamber to take care of issues like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phat Hog Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 As long as they keep the guy in Germany, or exile him to France... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinInsite Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 Couldn't we bring him here and charge him? Double jeopardy wouldn't count since he was tried in another country right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brave Posted February 5, 2004 Author Share Posted February 5, 2004 Yeah, bring him in here and charge him with about 10,000 volts of electricity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 That is a slap on ourt face by Ze Germans. Shiatzers.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smsmith40 Posted February 6, 2004 Share Posted February 6, 2004 What are you guys talking about ? The problem is that the prosecutors couldn't produce enough evidence to nail this guy. Given that, what do you honestly exepct a judge, German or otherwise to do? The word is that he will be deported back to Morocoo, from where the US will be free to seek to extradite him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 979guy Posted February 6, 2004 Share Posted February 6, 2004 Originally posted by smsmith40 What are you guys talking about ? The problem is that the prosecutors couldn't produce enough evidence to nail this guy. Given that, what do you honestly exepct a judge, German or otherwise to do? I think, sms, that the outrage is over what would have happened if he WAS indeed convicted: An accessory to 3,000 murders gets a max of 15 meager years?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy-the-Greek Posted February 6, 2004 Share Posted February 6, 2004 Does anyone else here remember that movie star chamber? I think that was the name of it. This guy would be a perfect candidate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grdpounder Posted February 6, 2004 Share Posted February 6, 2004 I've lived in Germany on and off for 12 years and the truth is that you get more time here for tax evasion than murder, they just paroled a member of the Red Army Faction who was convited of murder after 3 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SittingBill Posted February 6, 2004 Share Posted February 6, 2004 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter's Better Posted February 6, 2004 Share Posted February 6, 2004 Yep... thats a justice system for you.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destino Posted February 6, 2004 Share Posted February 6, 2004 Our goverment failed to provide enough evidence to convict this guy? This sercecy **** is getting out of hand. If you can't use info to put these ****s away or find WMD what the hell good is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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