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May 8, 2006
Sweden: Internet Islamists In Church Plot Meet In Court
We reported on May 3 that three people had been charged with plotting to make a terror attack upon a popular Swedish evangelical church, the Livets Ord (Word of Life), which was founded by Dr Ulf Elkman and his wife. Prosecutor Tomas Lindstrand had suggested that the reason the three had wanted to attack the church was because of its strong support for Israel. Livets Ord has since 1990 encouraged Russian Jews to emigrate to Israel, and it has a study-center based in Jerusalem.
The three men accused are a 22-year old Iranian named Mehdi, a 19-year old of Bosnian origin from Trelleborg in Skane called Milan, and 25-year old Johan, the son of Swedish professionals from Kramfors, in the north of Sweden.
What is unusual about this case is that it is the first terror trial in Sweden which relates to a potential attack upon national soil, and it is only the second terror trial in the nation.
Another unusual aspect is that until today, the three individuals had not all met personally, though Johan is said to have briefly stayed with Mehdi for three days at the latter's home in Varby, Stockholm. All their communications with each other had been via the internet. They had first encountered each other on a message board called Terrorist Media. Their web messages to each other will be a crucial plank of the prosecution's evidence.
Today, according to Sweden's The Local, the three met in court today for the first day of their trial. They had intended to meet each other in January to discuss their plans, but police intervention had prevented this.
Johan, the eldest, said via his lawyer Tomas Nilsson that he had discussed carrying out an attack, but claimed they had not had any intention of following through with the actual deed.
The three men are charged with plotting to attack the headquarters of the church in Uppsala. This location is apparently the largest place of worship in Europe.
Johan is charged with assisting in an attempted terrorist crime and conspiracy to commit terrorist offences. Milan, is accused of "instigating terrorism", and Mehdi is charged with planning terrorism. Mehdi is also charged with terrorism, relating to an arson attack on a polling booth in Kista, a Stockholm suburb.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at May 8, 2006 7:32 AM
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