TIRANA, April 19 – The verdict against nine Islamist radicals accused of recruiting and sending Albanian nationals to fight alongside extremist groups in the Middle East has been postponed for next week.
The trial held on Tuesday against the nine imams was accompanied by heavy security measures.
The Serious Crimes Court, where the case against the imams is being held, was thoroughly searched for explosives ahead of the trial, while special forces were called in to beef up security around the building.
One of the defendants in the case, Gerti Pashja questioned the presence in the trial of U.S. embassy representatives monitoring the case. He accused the government of staging the process in order to receive praise for fighting terrorism.
“The court doesn’t have any evidence, you are convicting us to please the U.S. embassy,” Pashja told judges.
Another defendant, Zeqir Imeri, told the court they don’t need defense lawyers and that Allah will protect them instead.
The U.S. embassy had warned its citizens to be cautious and avoid the area around the courthouse ahead of the trial anticipating a guilty verdict.
The prosecutors have sought a combined sentence of 152 years for the nine defendants on charges ranging from incitement of hatred to terrorist financing and recruitment.
Prosecutors say they have secured enough evidence following lengthy investigations in coordination with other law enforcement agencies that the defendants had recruited Albanian Muslims to join radical groups fighting in Syria, an activity mainly conducted by the accused in 2013.
Among the defendants are two imams who preached in mosques in the outskirts of Tirana, which were not recognized by Albania’s official Muslim Community.
The imams together with seven aides have maintained a defiant stance throughout the trial defending their actions. They have refused defense attorneys and deny the charges, despite hard evidence collected against them.
