Posted on 11/25/2010 8:11:14 PM PST by markomalley
A radical Islamic cleric facing a life sentence on charges of aiding an al Qaeda affiliate has been released on bail while his retrial continues, Lebanon's state news agency reported.
A military court convicted Omar Bakri Mohammed in absentia two weeks ago of charges including membership in an armed group, possession of weapons and explosives, and committing crimes against the state, Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported at the time.
Bakri was arrested after a shootout two days later.
Bakri is having a retrial because he was convicted the first time in absentia. At the start of the retrial Wednesday, he denied the accusation and said he has no links to either an armed organization or to al Qaeda, the NNA reported.
Bakri was released Wednesday on a bail of 5,000,000 Lebanese pounds ($3,333), the army and news agency said.
The court adjourned the proceedings until Dec. 6 in order to hear from public prosecution witnesses, the NNA said.
The government has not released details of the charges, and the military court does not respond to questions from news outlets.
The trial of alleged members of the al Qaeda-affiliated group had been under way for several years, but at no point had he been told that he was among those on trial, Bakri said earlier this month.
He said he did not plan to appeal because he did not recognize the jurisdiction of what he called "a man-made court."
Bakri said he did not condemn al Qaeda, adding that he believed membership to be a blessing from God. He said, however, he had never been a member himself.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Read my tag.
Paging Mitch Rapp...Mitch Rapp please pick up the white courtesy phone.
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