(16 Jan 2014) A radical preacher deported from Britain to his native Jordan on terrorism charges appeared at a hearing in a military court in Amman on Thursday.
Abu Qatada is charged with plotting terror attacks against Israelis, Americans and other Westerners in Jordan in two foiled attempts in 1999 and 2000.
In both cases, Abu Qatada, who was abroad at the time, was convicted in absentia and sentenced to life in prison.
But on his deportation to his homeland in July, those sentences were suspended and he had to be re-tried under Jordanian law.
Abu Qatada's lawyer, Ghazi Thneibat said that no witnesses took the stand on Thursday because the court is caught up in procedural matters.
"It is hearing testimonies not related to our client and not of concern for his trial at all," said Thneibat.
The trial was adjourned until January 30th.
Abu Qatada, whose real name is Omar Mahmoud Mohammed Othman, has been described in courts in Britain and Spain as a senior al-Qaida figure in Europe who had close ties to the late Osama bin Laden.
Britain accused him of links with Zacarias Moussaoui, the only person charged in the United States over the September 11, 2001 attacks, and with shoe bomber Richard Reid.
Audio recordings of some of the cleric's sermons were found in an apartment in Hamburg, Germany, used by some of the September 11 hijackers.
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