8 Foreign Aid Workers Attend Taliban Hearing

Eight foreign aid workers on trial for promoting Christianity in Islamic Afghanistan appeared for the first time Saturday in the ruling Taliban’s Supreme Court, saying they were innocent of proselytizing.

The hearing, now in its fourth day, was presided over by Chief Justice Noor Mohammed Saqib and 18 bearded, white-turbaned judges.

“A lot of us don’t even know why we are in prison,” said George Taubmann, one of the German detainees. “We have heard we were accused of all these things. It is simply not true. We have not converted anybody. We are shocked about all the accusations. We have not had a chance to defend ourselves.”

Saturday marked the first time any of the detained foreigners--two Americans, four Germans and two Australians--had spoken or been seen in public since their arrest five weeks ago. Six are women and two are men.

The eight foreigners and 16 Afghans who are being held worked for Shelter Now International, a German, Christian-based organization. The Taliban has issued an edict making jail and expulsion the punishment for a foreigner caught proselytizing. The punishment for an Afghan Muslim who either converts to or preaches another religion is death.

The detainees, who appeared healthy, have been identified as Americans Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer; Germans Taubmann, Katrin Jelinek, Margrit Stebnar and Silke Duerrkopf; and Australians Peter Bunch and Diana Thomas.

Pakistan-based diplomats from Germany, Australia and the United States, plus three relatives of the detainees and international media were allowed to attend the trial Saturday.

The detainees arrived at court in a van accompanied by a pickup truck carrying armed guards from the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.

Chief Justice Saqib reassured the accused that the trial would be fair and said they were entitled to hire lawyers or defend themselves, as they wished.

The small courtroom was hot and stuffy as about 70 people--judges, Taliban guards, diplomats, relatives and the accused--crowded in.

Meanwhile, in Kabul, the capital, an unknown number of people were wounded when a powerful bomb exploded Saturday inside the Taliban’s Interior Ministry, witnesses said.

They said the device went off during working hours inside the anti-crime department, injuring mostly officials.

“I don’t know about deaths. Some of the wounded were in critical condition, and it was a big explosion and many windows have been broken as a result,” a witness said.