WORLD BRIEFING / SUDAN
Two Sudanese men denied killing a U.S. diplomat and his driver in Khartoum, but told a court that they thought killing “American unbelievers” was honorable.
They are among five men accused of killing John Granville, a 33-year-old officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development, and his driver, Abdelrahman Abbas Rahama, 39.
The two were shot to death while returning home from New Year’s Eve celebrations early on Jan. 1, 2008.
“Killing American unbelievers is an honor, but I was not involved in this case,” Mohamed Makkawi Ibrahim Mohamed told the court. Abdel Basit Hajj Hassan echoed his statement.
They and another defendant said earlier confessions were extracted by torture.
The judge is expected to cross-examine the two remaining defendants next week.
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