Pakistani Suspect Charged, Released On Bail In Chile | Print | E-mail
WRITTEN BY BEN SCHNEIDER
MONDAY, 17 MAY 2010 06:24
Muhammad Saif ur Rehman Khan charged under the Arms Control Law and not the Anti-terrorism Law
Muhammad Saif ur Rehman Khan was charged with breaking the Arms Control Law and released on bail Saturday following a four-hour closed court session. Judge Carolina Araya said that she had not been presented with enough evidence to justify keeping Khan in prison.
Prosecutors now have three months to put together their case, during which time Khan is not allowed to leave the Santiago Metropolitan Region and is required to check-in weekly.
The Pakistani student of Spanish and Hotel Management, age 28, was detained last Monday after security machines at the U.S. embassy detected traces of explosive materials (ST, May 12, 2010). Investigators have reported finding traces of the explosives amplifier Tetryl and TNT on Khan’s cell phone, hands, clothing, bag, and documents at his house.
On Tuesday Khan was placed in a high security prison (CAS) without formal charges – permissible under Chile’s Anti-Terrorism Law. It is noteworthy that on Saturday Khan was not charged with terrorism crimes.
Still, prosecuting attorney Xavier Armendáriz has said the prosecution has only charged Khan with “the objective evidence that we’ve gathered up until now,” adding that “the investigation continues.”
One potential line of investigation has been into possible connections with former-members of the Lautaro Youth Movement (MJL), a radical leftist group that violently resisted the Pinochet dictatorship and continued their armed fight well into Chile’s transition to democracy in the late 1980s and early 1990s. So far, very little information regarding this line of investigation has been released to the public.
Following Saturday’s court decision, Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter said, **“There are pieces of evidence that could point to illicit association” and that he considers the measures taken by Judge Araya to be insufficient, due to “the seriousness of the charges involved and the importance of an unimpeded investigation.” **
“The appropriate [ruling] is to have declared preventative prison,” said Hinzpeter.
In the wake of the accusations, the blog “Saif is innocent” and Facebook groups “Truth about Saif” and “Release Saif Ur-Rehman Khan” have sprung up to defend Khan. The groups portray a young, well-educated man from a well-off family.
In a sound clip of Khan from the blog, he says “I think there is someone behind me who is doing this. I don’t know who, but my guess is Mr. Bill from the U.S. consulate.” He is referring to an alleged call he received from a mobile phone from a man named Bill who asked him to come to the embassy.
SOURCES: LA TERCERA, EL MERCURIO
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I wonder what this interior minister is gaining out of this?
It is really strange that such weird things are coming up. May Allah correct the state of affairs. These people have done so much injustice against our family. We pray that the matter is solved and that Saif can lead a normal life.