FOLEY ASSASSINATION DEFENDANTS, ABU SAYYAF CLAIM

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 006683 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PREL PHUM ASEC JO SUBJECT: FOLEY ASSASSINATION DEFENDANTS, ABU SAYYAF CLAIM TORTURE DURING SEPARATE TRIALS; HIJAZI RE-APPEARS IN COURT REF: A. AMMAN 05907 ¶B. AMMAN 05333 ¶C. AMMAN 06232 ¶D. AMMAN 06347 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (U) Jordan's state security court heard three separate cases involving suspects involved in anti-U.S. activity on October 13-15. On October 15, five men accused in the assassination of USAID official Laurence Foley appeared in court to proclaim their innocence, claiming that Jordanian security officials had tortured them to elicit their confessions. The Foley trial adjourned until October 19. On October 14, local Islamic extremist Mohammad al-Shalabi (aka Abu Sayyaf),appeared in court for the first time, claiming he had been tortured and denied a lawyer during his interrogation for his role in a plot against U.S. and other targets in Jordan as well as riots that occurred in his hometown of Ma'an in November 2002. His trial also will resume on October 19 to allow the court time to appoint a lawyer. Meanwhile, on October 13, the court postponed indefinitely the case of Jordanian-American Ra'ed Hijazi, who is being retried for his role in the December 1999 plot to conduct attacks during the millennial celebrations in Jordan. End Summary. -------------- -------------- ACCUSED FOLEY ASSASSINS PROCLAIM INNOCENCE, CLAIM TORTURE -------------- -------------- ¶2. (U) Five defendants accused in the assassination of USAID official Laurence Foley in October 2002 appeared before the state security court on October 15, proclaiming their innocence and charging that Jordanian security officers had elicited their confession to the crime using torture. Libyan national Salem Bin Suwayyid, the alleged mastermind and triggerman in the attack, stated in court that charges were brought against him to "please the Americans." ¶3. (U) Bin Suwayyid told reporters: "I'm not guilty. I was ready to sign any confession to rid myself of the worst kind of torture and duress." He said his interrogators made him sign a confession that "I was neither allowed to read or check" and that he re-enacted the crime according to a "scenario" prepared by the military prosecutor. Yasser Freihat, who allegedly drove the getaway car, told the court that interrogators told him if he did not sign the confession, he "would go back to the cell for more torture and beating." ¶4. (U) Judge Fawaz Bqour agreed to a request from the defendants' attorneys to allow them more time to prepare their defense. The trial will resume on October 19. -------------- - ABU SAYYAF APPEARS IN COURT FOR THE FIRST TIME -------------- - ¶5. (U) Local Islamic extremist Mohammad al-Shalabi (aka Abu Sayyaf),standing trial for his involvement in a plot to attack U.S. and other targets in Jordan, claimed during his first court appearance on October 14 that his interrogators tortured him and denied him access to an attorney. Abu Sayyaf also is accused of instigating riots in his southern Jordanian hometown of Ma'an in November 2002. The court decided to adjourn the session until October 19 in order to appoint a lawyer for Abu Sayyaf. -------------- HIJAZI'S TRIAL POSTPONED INDEFINITELY -------------- ¶6. (U) The state security court on October 13 postponed the case of Ra'ed Hijazi, a Jordanian-American whom the court is retrying for plotting terrorist acts in December 1999 during the millennial celebrations in Jordan. In January 2003, the court confirmed a September 2000 ruling that found Hijazi and six other men guilty and sentenced them to death. However, in June 2003, the Court of Cassation overturned the verdict because it said the "State Security Court violated court procedures." ¶7. (U) According to Hijazi's lawyer, the violations were related to insufficient evidence on the conviction of possessing and manufacturing explosive material. Judge Bqour announced that he had decided to postpone the case indefinitely to consider the higher court's concerns and issue a final verdict in the matter. Visit Embassy Amman's classified web site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ or access the site through the State Department's SIPRNET home page. GNEHM