Serious travesty of justice in Germany in an alleged 9/11 case
Serious travesty of justice in Germany in an alleged 9/11 case
by Elias Davidsson
17 November 2006
According to the international press, a German appeals court convicted on November 14, 2006 a Moroccan national, Mounir el-Motassadeq, of involvement in the September 11, 2001 plot. He was convicted as an “accessory to murder” because he was a friend of three of the alleged September 11 perpetrators and allegedly knew of their plan to hijack and crash planes. He faces 15 years of prison.The defendant denies any foreknowledge of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
The judicial proceedings regarding el-Motassadeq began already in 2002 with ups and downs. Both the prosecution and the defense agreed to rely on the official account on the events of 9/11, and particularly on the allegation that Mohammed Atta, apparently a friend of el-Motassadeq, was one of the perpetrators of the mass murder of 9/11.
The problem is that Mohammed Atta was not one of the perpetrators of the mass murder of 9/11 because he did not board any of the aircraft which were used as the tools of murder. Anyone alleging that he actually boarded on such aircraft rather than climb the Himalaya, fish in the Amazon or drink whiskey in Florida, bears the burden of proof, for the simple reason that those who level accusations of murder against a person must prove their allegations. Atta’s name does not appear on passenger lists. No one has seen him board the aircraft. And his bodily remains were not identified in the crash sites. Incidentally, this applies to all 19 alleged hijackers, whose names do not appear on the passenger lists, whom no one saw board the aircraft and whose bodily remains remain unidentified. For all practical purposes, the entire story on the hijacked planes is a fairy-tale.
Now, it is theoretically possible that US law-enforcement agencies possess the above evidence but have decided not to release it for reasons that they have not given. I say “theoretically”, because one would have expected the US administration not only to publicize incriminating evidence as proof for their allegations against the 19 Muslims, but to use this evidence as the main proof for its allegations. Yet, instead it has relied on dubious confessions by Osama bin Laden, who no one has seen. But even if one would argue that such evidence may exist somewhere in the archives of the FBI, it is the duty of a court of justice to prove that the persons whom el-Motassadeq helped actually participated in the mass murder of 9/11. If the court cannot produce such proof, it must release the defendant, even if the defendant himself may believe – due to press reports – that his erstewhile friend participated in this murder.
The consensus formed by the prosecution, the defense, the judges and the German media, the international media and even human rights organisations, to disregard this crucial evidential issue, is sinister and may further undermine public confidence in the justice system.
Questions or observations regarding the above statement, are welcome.