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August 10, 2006
Germany: Priest Accused Of Assisting Islamist Prisoner
News from Deutsche Presse-Agentur via Expatica states that a Catholic chaplain in a prison has been accused during a trial of giving material assistance to an Al Qaeda suspect who was an inmate at Wuppertal jail, east of Cologne.
The prisoner is Mohammed Ibrahim K., one of three Muslims who were indicted in December on charges of being members of, or supporting, al-Qaeda. They are also said to have raised funds for suicide bombings in Iraq.
Believed to be a Syrian national, Ibrahim Mohamed K lived in Mainz, and was accused of being a member of Al Qaeda. It is alleged that he recruited the two others, Palestinian brothers, to become members. He had attempted unsuccessfully to purchase nuclear material for a radiological dispersal device, or "dirty bomb", it is alleged. He is said to have been part of the command structure of al-Qaeda, and to have been in contact with bin Laden. He fought US troops in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2002.
At the trial of the three suspects in Dusseldorf, it was stated that the 45-year old Catholic prison chaplain had smuggled letters and had performed searches on the internet on the behalf of Mohammed Ibrahim K. Prosecutors did not specify what searches were made, or the content of the letters.
The priest was called to the stand as a witness, but through his lawyer he refused to answer questions, claiming religious vows prevented this. It was claimed that he could only testify with the church's permission, and he was legally obliged to observe confidentiality regarding the confessions of others. This extended to his pastoral work in general.
The presiding judge at the trial, Ottmar Breidling, said he would subpoena the vicar-general of the Catholic diocese of Cologne to find out if the witness was entitled to claim such a right of silence. He said: "This has nothing to do with pastoral work."
The trial has been going on for three months, and the three defendants could face 10 years' jail if convicted.
No decision has yet been reached on whether or not to prosecute the priest.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at August 10, 2006 3:38 PM
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