Istanbul bomber goes on trial
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 22, 2006 13:01
The trial of the man who is believed to have masterminded a series of deadly bombings in Istanbul has got underway in Turkey this week. Syrian born, Luai Sakra, was thrown out of the court after refusing to stand and denies masterminding the attack and accusations of funding the bombings. The Syrian national joins more than 70 suspects on trial over the suicide blasts, which killed 58 people in Istanbul in November 2003. This is the first time since his capture in August 2005 that he has appeared in court.
Haberin Devamı
In a twist of defiance that surrounds the case, Sakra's lawyer was also banned from representing him after being charged with aiding and abetting al-Qaeda. The blasts targeted the British consulate, the HSBC bank headquarters and two synagogues.
Prosecutors are putting forward claims that Mr Sakra channelled funds from al-Qaeda to finance the attacks.