Spain court overturns conviction of 9/11 suspect

June 02, 2006|Maria Jesus Prades, Associated Press

MADRID -- Spain's Supreme Court yesterday threw out an Al Qaeda suspect's conviction for conspiracy to commit murder in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, after prosecutors said the evidence against him was weak.

The court upheld a separate conviction against Imad Yarkas for belonging to a terror organization.

Three other suspects accused of belonging to or collaborating with Al Qaeda also were acquitted . Driss Chebli , Sadik Merizak, and Abdelaziz Benyaich had already been released in April at the request of prosecutors.

The court announced only its verdicts in the cases, not its grounds for the rulings . The explanation is expected to be released in a few days, court officials said.

Yarkas is alleged to have founded and led an Al Qaeda cell in Spain, which investigators say was a key staging ground for the attacks along with Germany.