Tuesday, March 23, 2004

Zimbabwe - Equatorial Guinea update

The group of about 70 men who landed in Zimbabwe were charged on several counts and are still denying the charges.

The state read out five charges against them, some of which attract a life term on conviction. They were not asked to enter their pleas.

These include two charges relating to conspiracy to possess and purchase "dangerous weapons," which can attract the life sentence; and violation of firearms laws, immigration regulations and civil aviation laws.

An earlier charge of "conspiring to "commit international terrorism," was not mentioned on Tuesday.

...Court papers filed by the state charged that the suspected mercenaries were "sponsored externally", and this posed real security risks.

"These sponsors have the capacity and the capability of launching an air and ground operation to rescue their cadres," the papers said.

...[Zimbabwe high court judge] Karwi said he had taken into consideration the need for a fair trial, and ordered that the proceedings take place in a large room at the prison big enough "to accommodate more than 100 people seated at any given time".

He also ordered that lawyers, friends and relatives of the detained men, as well as members of the press, be "given easy access to the venue".
  Aljazeera article

I'm still waiting for the final word on who their "sponsors" are.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.

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