Casablanca court postpones trial of al-Qaeda operatives arrested in morocco

The Casablanca court of appeal decided this Monday to postpone to this December 26 the trial of a group of three Saudis and seven Moroccans, accused of being members of an Al-Qaeda cell.

The court rejected the defense request to release the suspects.

The group, arrested last June on charges of preparing terrorist acts against Moroccan targets and western ships crossing the Gibraltar strait, stood trial for the first time last October.

The Moroccan home ministry announced last October the arrest of a group of Al-Qaeda operatives and with government investigations stating that they had accomplices in Morocco.