The trial of eight foreigners charged with preaching the "abolished religion" of Christianity in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan began behind closed doors Tuesday.
Supreme Court chief justice Mawlawi Noor Mohammad Saqib promised a fair trial after meeting fellow judges and Islamic scholars for several hours earlier in the day.
"The trial has begun today. How long it will take, it is not clear," Saqib told reporters at the court in central Kabul.
"They are innocent unless they are proven guilty. For the court, they are just accused who are yet to be proven guilty."
He said details of the proceedings were still being worked out and the accused -- two Americans, two Australians and four Germans -- had not yet appeared before the court.
"They will be given a full chance to defend themselves and say whatever they want. If we find it necessary during the course of the trial to call any of the detainees, we will call them," said Saqib, flanked by a group of 15 Islamic scholars.
"In many countries the accused are given the right to have lawyers. We do not consider that necessary.
"However, if they are unable to (defend themselves) we will have no objection to them hiring legal assistance."
Taliban Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Mutawakel had earlier promised that the trial would be "open", with diplomats and journalist allowed to attend.
But Saqib said "judges will decide whether the proceedings will be open".
The eight aid workers, plus 16 Afghan colleagues at German-based Shelter Now International, were arrested early last month and have been in detention in Kabul ever since.
The hardline Islamic militia, which rules most of Afghanistan, has refused to rule out the death penalty.
Australian, US and German diplomats, who have been in Kabul for the past week, have asked to monitor the trial, which is unprecedented under the fundamentalist militia's unique brand of Islamic Sharia law.
The accused are Americans Heather Mercer and Dana Curry, Australians Diana Thomas and Peter Bunch and Germans George Taubmann, Silke Duerrkopf, Margrit Stebner and Kati Jelinek.
It is the first time foreigners have been charged with preaching Christianity in Afghanistan and the trial will put the secretive Islamic militia's legal system under an international spotlight.
Police files were presented to the Supreme Court Monday at the end of a month of investigations in which police confiscated Afghan-language Bibles and thousands of computer disks with Christian content.
Shelter Now has denied its staff were involved in missionary work. The Taliban claim to have written confessions from the detainees.
Once a verdict is reached, it will passed to reclusive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar for a final decision.
Taliban Justice Minister Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, a close aide to Omar and one of the most powerful figures in the Islamic regime, said Monday the foreigners would face several charges.
But he said the main one was preaching an "abolished religion".
Saqib said other charges, possibly including entering Afghan homes without official permission and watching movies, would be determined during the trial.
"Whether there are other charges or not we will find out during the course of trial," he said.
There have been two decrees from Omar this year against proselytising, but there has been no official clarification about which one will apply in the case of the eight aid workers -- KABUL (AFP)
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
