Egyptian Court Delays Trial of Accused Christmas Eve Shooters
By Aaron J. Leichman
2/14/2010 Egypt (The Christian Post) – The trial of three Muslim men accused of killing seven Coptic Christians outside a church in Egypt opened Saturday with “not guilty” pleas but was adjourned for five weeks.
After the three men – Hammam al-Qomy, Oreshi Abul Hagag and Hindawi Sayed Hassan – pleaded “not guilty” to the charges of “premeditated murder, putting the life of citizens in danger and damage to public and private property,” the judge at the emergency security court in the southern Egyptian city of Qena adjourned the trial until March 20.
According to Middle Eastern news network Al Jazeera, the trial was adjourned to give defense lawyers time to read through case documents and come up with their requests in light of the men’s recent claims of innocence.
Though the accused initially confessed to the shooting in front of the main church of the town of Nag Hamadi, al-Qomy – the main suspect in the killing – reportedly told the judge otherwise.
