ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - The Supreme Court of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban will resume on Saturday the trial of eight foreign aid workers detained on charges of converting Muslims to Christianity, Atif Ali Khan, their defense lawyer said. (Read photo caption below)
Khan returned to a capital under fire, saying it was his duty to defend his clients since they had no one else to help them.
The eight -- two Americans, two Australians and four Germans -- have been held in a detention center for more than two months.
They have been detained by Taliban religious police since August 5 along with 16 local staff. All worked for the German-based Shelter Now International aid group, shut down by the Taliban at the time of the arrests.
The group's director, Georg Taubmann, denied the charges in an appearance before the Taliban supreme court last month, saying they had not converted a single Afghan Muslim to Christianity.
The fate of the eight will rest with approximately 15 judges who will evaluate Khan's defense and the evidence, consisting of statements, books and videos.
Khan said he had prepared his reply to the charges of proselytizing and must have this translated into one of the official languages of Afghanistan -- Pashto or Dari -- before submitting it to the court.
Khan said last week that he did not think the U.S.-led attacks would influence the judges.
``The chief justice has been very, very clear that this will be a judicial thing,'' Khan said.
PHOTO CAPTION:
Pakistani Atif Ali Khan, the defense lawyer of the eight foreign aid workers being held in Kabul, Afghanistan, speaks on his cellphone from his office in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2001. On Saturday the Taliban offered to release the eight aid workers, including two Americans, if Washington stopped its threats and began negotiations. (AP Photo/John McConnico)
- Oct 07 5:43 AM ET