KABUL - Afghanistan's Taliban on Wednesday denied Western diplomats access to the trial of eight foreign aid workers accused of promoting Christianity but the chief justice said the defendants could hire foreign lawyers.
Judges and Islamic scholars under Afghanistan's Supreme Court went into their second day of deliberations over the trial.
But three Islamabad-based Western diplomats in Kabul, frustrated at the lack of information about the case, were denied entry to the Supreme Court after arriving uninvited in a bid to meet the chief justice.
Chief Justice Noor Mohammad Saqib told Reuters he did not know how long the trial process would last, but the Pakistan Afghan Islam Press (AIP) quoted him as saying the detainees could hire foreign, non-Muslim lawyers.
"The deliberation and work on their case entered its second day. We want to continue this regularly and can't say how long it will last," Saqib said.
He promised to deal with the case on a fair basis and stressed that the four Germans, two Americans and two Australians would be allowed to defend themselves.
"They have the complete right to defend themselves in court. If they want to use a lawyer we have no objection," AIP quoted him as saying. "They can even bring in foreign, non-Muslim lawyers to defend themselves."
Twenty-four staff of the German-based Christian relief agency Shelter Now International (SNI) -- the foreigners and 16 Afghan colleagues -- were arrested more than four weeks ago on charges that could carry the death penalty.
It was unclear whether the 16 Afghans, who are expected to be tried separately, would be called to give evidence.
PROCESS REMAINS UNCLEAR
The trial process under the hardline Islamic movement remained unclear.
The diplomats from Germany, Australia and the United States, seeking to protect the interests of their nationals, arrived uninvited at the court.
They waited in the street for around 30 minutes before leaving saying they would make another attempt to meet the chief justice through the foreign ministry.
Australian diplomat Alistair Adams said there had been no contact with the Taliban over the case since last week.
"An explanation of the judicial process, what is happening in this case, we have no official word at all," he said. "We have some idea from press reports that the case has commenced, we have had no official advice up to this point."
In Washington, a U.S. State Department official called for a fair trial.
"We call upon the Taliban to ensure the proceedings follow the rule of law and are fair and transparent," said the official, who declined to be identified.
PUNISHMENT UNDECIDED
AIP quoted Saqib as saying the punishment would accord with the crime. The Taliban says supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar has the final say no matter what the court decides.
"The detained Shelter Now people will be sentenced according to Islamic Sharia law," he said.
"If the crime is worthy of imprisonment they will be imprisoned, if the crime is worthy of hanging, they will be hanged," he added.
There was no indication the accused had yet been called to appear and it was not clear if or when diplomats, family members or reporters would be allowed in to observe the trial.
Saqib told AIP it was not necessary for anybody beside the accused to attend court.
"However, in case the judges and the religious scholars feel it necessary for anybody else to attend court proceedings they will be allowed," he said.
The Taliban say they have strong evidence that SNI's foreign staff were involved in trying to convert Afghan Muslims to Christianity but had no proof any conversions were actually made. SNI says its staff are told not to proselytise.
The Taliban have also evicted the foreign staff of two other Christian humanitarian groups -- International Assistance Mission and Serve -- saying they were connected with SNI.
Recognised as a legitimate government by just three countries, the Taliban rule about 95 percent of Afghanistan and want to establish a purist Islamic state.
Their strict interpretation of Islam has often earned them international condemnation, especially for human rights abuses and the destruction of the country's pre-Islamic heritage.
03:12 09-05-01
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