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Journalism of Courage
Roshan Jamal Khan, the Indian national under arrest abroad in connection with a suspected terror plot, seems set to spend several more months in a Spanish jail as the trial in his case could begin as late as January and he is not eligible for bail, his lawyer said on Thursday.
Mumbai resident Khan was among 14 Muslim men picked from a mosque in Barcelona on January 19 and Spanish police allege they were planning suicide bombings on public transport in Barcelona. Four of them, including another Indian, were released later.
The accused, who got their first day in court on Tuesday and Wednesday, could face up to about 20 years in prison if found guilty of both offences. Khan8217;s family was hoping that he could at least be freed on bail while investigations continued. But his lawyer said since he was being held in a terrorism case, he was not eligible for bail under Spanish law.
8220;The first appearance in court was a minor affair, it was not very important or substantial,8221; Bernard Sallelas told The Indian Express from Barcelona.
8220;The detainees were told of the charges they faced and the judge asked them if they agreed with the charges and they all obviously did not.8221;
8220;The trial will start in some months and that is the crucial time as that is when the evidence will be presented,8221; he said. 8220;But until then they cannot be released on bail as people arrested on terrorism charges in Spain are not eligible for bail, especially if they are foreigners.8221;
While terrorism cases normally come to trial in about three years from the time of arrest, Jamal8217;s case could at the most take a year to reach that stage since there was not much to investigate, Sallelas claimed. 8220;The trial will hardly take a week or two. But before that they have to record statements of the detainees, of the protected witnesses and gather evidence. That takes some months,8221; he added.
Official sources confirmed Khan8217;s court appearance and said a report had been sent to the Ministry of External Affairs. Khan8217;s family had urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the MEA and the Spanish Consulate-General to intervene, saying he was innocent. Immigrant groups had staged protests in Spain, seeking his freedom.
