11/9 Events: Trial of Moroccan suspect starts in Germany
Morocco-Germany, Local, 8/15/2003

The trial of Moroccan Abdelghani Mzoudi who is sued for alleged complicity in September 11 attacks, opened on Thursday in the appeal court of Hamburg (northern German).

Arrested in October 10, 2002, Mzousi was charged of membership in a terrorist organization and aiding and abetting in murder in 3,066 counts.

The thirty-year old Moroccan will "keep silent" in this trial, said his lawyer, underscoring that the defense will explain this decision at the outset of the trial.

Mzoudi rejects all charges against him according to which he "helped the Hamburg" cell and "participated in the preparation of the attacks." Many members of the cell died during 9/11 attacks.

Some 125 witnesses will be summoned to provide 200 exhibits to prove that Mzoudi brought a "logistic help" to three suicide bombers of the Hamburg cell (Mohamed Atta, Marwan El Shehhi and Ziad Jarrah).

The press had revealed that Mzoudi, who was arrested 13 months after the attacks, knew several members of Hamburg cell and lived with Zakaria Esse, who is currently wanted, in a room in Hamburg where Atta and Shehhi lived. Both of them died in the planes that hit the World Twin Center.

Mzoudi, who arrived in Germany in 1995 to study electric engineering, also shared an apartment with Motassadeq who was sentenced by the court of appeal of Hamburg last February to 15 years of prison for involvement in the attacks.

If found guilty, he will be handed down the same 15-year jail term as Motassadeq.

Previous Stories:
  German court convicts Moroccan El Motassaddeq for involvement in 9/11 attacks   (2/20/2003)
  German man arrested in Tangiers in possession of drugs   (12/7/1999)
  German ship rescued off Casablanca   (10/22/1999)

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