Thursday, February 15, 2007

The Trial….Setting The Scene

29 people are standing trial accused of participating in the Madrid train bombings in which 191 people were killed and 1840 were wounded. Of these 29 accused, 18 are currently being held in preventative custody and are seated in a special bullet proof enclosure in the courtroom; the other 11 are free on bail. It is worth emphasising that not all of those held responsible for the bombings are present, 7 members of the group involved blew themselves up in a flat in Leganés when it was surrounded by police 3 weeks after the train bombings.

The trial began on Thursday 15th February 2007, and is taking place in a courtroom located in the Casa de Campo, on the outskirts of Madrid. The courtroom is being protected by 300 police and the level of alert for possible terrorist attacks has been raised. Hundreds of witnesses are due to be called and it is expected the trial will last for several months with a verdict expected at some point in the autumn.


READ MORE IN ENGLISH:

The New York Times


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