On the coup attempt in Qatar, Foreign Minister testified

The Qatari news agency said that Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jasem al-Thani on Wednesday testified before the major criminal court in Doha which is hearing the case of the failed coup attempt that took place in Qatar in 1996.

Some 121 people are being tried in this case.

The Qatari news agency reported that the attorney general asked for the session to be limited to statements by the witness because of the large amount of information he will disclose, which will take a substantial amount of of time.

In press statements he made before the session Sheikh Hamad said Qatar's rulers want "justice and democracy in the state of Qatar." He added, "My presence here to the hall of the court proves in theory and practice this attitude."

It was decided that Sheikh Hamad had to give his testimony at the request of the court's chairman judge Masoud al-Amari in a previous session. The Qatari Foreign Minister has accused former Qatari president, who is now outside the country, Sheikh Khaleifa Bin Hamad al-Thani as being, through foreign support, behind the coup attempt which targeted his son. The son, the current president of Qatar had toppled his father (Sheikh Khaleifa Bin Hamad al-Thani) in June 1995.