Mauritania Islamists Claim Torture

A familiar refrain, repeated often.

Lawyers for more than 20 suspected Islamic militants on trial in Mauritania said on Monday police had tortured their clients to obtain statements and said they would press charges against those responsible.

The group, including seven young men and more than a dozen Muslim religious teachers, are accused of receiving training from al Qaeda's North Africa wing and trying to set up a branch to create instability within and outside Mauritania.

"The accused have been attacked and tortured by the police," lawyer Fatmata MBaye said at a packed court hearing held under tight security and punctuated with shouts of "Allahu Akbar" (God is Great) from female relatives of the defendants.

Fellow defence lawyer Abdallahi Ould Dah said statements made by the accused had been extracted under torture.

MBaye said the defence team would lodge a legal complaint against those responsible for torturing her clients.

"Since September 2001 Muslim communities have been hounded and considered as responsible for the destruction of the World Trade Center towers," she said.

Well yes, they were responsible.