The Taliban militia Monday officially charged eight foreign aid workers with a number of alleged crimes including spreading Christianity, the powerful justice minister said.
"We have submitted the file to the Supreme Court," Justice Minister Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, a close aid to Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, told AFP.
"There are so many charges against them but the main one is preaching an abolished religion."
The two Americans, two Australians and four Germans are expected to stand trial in an open court under the fundamentalist militia's puritanical brand of Sharia law later this week.
The Taliban claims to have written confessions from the aid workers, staff of German-based group Shelter Now, as well as evidence such as Afghan-language Bibles and thousands of computer disks containing Christian material.
Afghans found guilt of apostasy or inviting Muslims to another faith face the death penalty, but the laws are less clear for foreigners and the Taliban has not previously explained the charges against them.
It is unclear what legal procedure will be followed regarding the 16 Afghan aid workers arrested with the foreigners early last month -- KABUL (AFP)
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