Chile judge frees Pakistani arrested at US Embassy

[Creder]

washingtonpost.com


SANTIAGO, Chile -- A Pakistani man detained with suspicious chemical residues at the U.S. Embassy in Chile was charged with possessing explosives on Saturday, and then set free pending further investigation.

Mohammad Saif Ur Rehman Khan was ordered to stay in Chile and check in with authorities once a week. Prosecutors have three more months to develop their case, Judge Maria Carolina Herrera ruled.

Defense attorney Gabriel Carrion said the judge declined to charge Khan with associating with terrorists for lack of evidence.

Khan, who maintains his innocence, made a victory sign with his hand and said only "Viva Chile" to a crowd of reporters as he left the courthouse with his lawyer.

Khan was called in to the embassy so that he could be told that is U.S. visa was revoked. A State Department spokesman in Washington said had been added to a terrorism watch list after the U.S. government received information about him.

A summary of the closed hearing posted on the judiciary's website Saturday said both TNT and tetryl - a chemical that boosts the power of explosives - were found on his cell phone and documents at the embassy, and that a police search of his room later found the same chemicals on his clothes, a suitcase and a computer bag.

But Carrion says the 28-year-old Khan is an innocent student of the tourism industry and Spanish, and that anyone can pick up traces of the chemical simply by living in a big, polluted city.

Prosecutor Xavier Armendariz said the judge found that Khan's detention was legal.

Chilean police have searched the apartment of an Egyptian man who prayed at the same mosque as Khan and continue to investigate people who associated with the suspect.

Khan's parents were traveling to Chile to support their son, according to leftist Sen. Alejandro Navarro, who said he persuaded the interior ministry to grant them visas.

 

[EyelessInGaza]

Interesting - so, as far as we know now, it was all a farce?

All in all it's a good job that the man was tried in a 'neutral' country. The man should be on his knees and thanking God every waking moment.

 

[amigos]

Saif is innocent! — Saif es inocente !! Saif is innocent!

 

[alibaz]

They just wanted to create an environment. Arrest was covered in main headings of world media. News about court freeing him will hardly take any attention so mission achieved and Pakistan maligned.

 

[amigos]

Breaking News: U.S. ambassador in Chile, Paul Simmons has been sent home and replaced with Alejandro Wolff.

 

[amigos]

Santiago de Chile, Jun 26 (Prensa Latina) The U.S. refusal to cooperate with the investigation of young Pakistani controversial Mohamed Saif Ur Rehman, arrested in U.S. embassy, led to further doubts on the issue of merits.

The U.S. embassy invoked diplomatic immunity to state officials cited several of the Chilean courts, protected by the inviolability of its archives, in accordance with Article 24 of the Vienna Convention.

However, the announcement came this week, after a long silence on the arrest of Pakistani hospitality student on 10 May, accused of carrying their belongings particles explosive-related chemicals.

Mohamed Saif Ur Rehman was placed on probation twice for lack of evidence, despite the insistence of the Chilean Ministry of Interior in prosecuting him for the gun control law and for alleged "terrorist conspiracy."

The parents of 28 year old Pakistani, who proclaims his innocence at all times, traveled from Islamabad to accompany him, while growing the solidarity of those who report "strange things" during the process, including discrimination based on nationality and his Muslim faith.

The Interior Minister, Rodrigo Hinzpeter, denied that there was a persecution against Mohamed Saif Ur Rehman: "I have no obsession with this citizen, I do not know, the truth that the fact that he is Pakistan is a casualty."

However, Senator Alejandro Navarro, of the Comprehensive Social Movement (MAS) said on several occasions to suspect a "montage" and asked to thoroughly investigate the issue, including possible intervention in Chile of U.S. secret services.

This week, Rep. Felipe Harboe, the Party for Democracy (PPD), also claimed that "here have been many doubts" has been taken has been arrested and charged to a person who, apparently, what was decided by the Court of Appeals had no responsibility.

This has meant for him a stigma and will have to analyze the background for justice to determine his innocence or guilt, adding to stress the need for "maximum background."

Officials involved in the arrest of Mohamed Saif Ur Rehman, within the U.S. headquarters, were identified as the consul in Santiago, William Whitaker, the delegate of the Department of Homeland Security, David Kuhlow, and civil added Liseli Pennings.

Similarly, employees of the security company that provides services to the embassy, Inter-Con Security Systems Chile, Washington Moreira, Pablo Diaz, Mario Enrique Reyes Pozo, Fernando Bravo Raúl Cristián Arévalo and Lagos Ferrada.

The invocation of diplomatic immunity was expressed to the authorities in two offices, as revealed Chilean media, citing sources in the Public Ministry in the sense that these people deal with information useful to the investigation.

The Consul William Whitaker, for example, was identified as the mysterious "Mr. Bill" by the young Pakistani, after seeing his photograph in a newspaper, and said it was the official who allegedly quoted the embassy to check their papers, after which he was arrested.

According to notes sent to the Chilean Foreign Ministry by the U.S. Embassy, the knowledge of the officials mentioned on the case comes from "its position at the embassy and attributed as part of the inviolable record files of our embassy."

Only one employee, Washington Moreira, was allowed to declare "personal information, but is not allowed to provide information about the files in the embassy and / or knowledge gained by reason of their employment, consequently, form part of the archives .

According to some sources, that information protected includes knowledge of "policies, procedures, as well as methods and analytical work of the United States government."

However, the prosecution may insist on the possibility to question the American ombudsmen and Chilean employees to fill information gaps that still exist in the investigation.

The case is still in full swing when they just announced the replacement of the current U.S. ambassador in Chile, Paul Simmons, Alejandro Wolff, a career diplomat, who also has been executive assistant to the Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell.

Noticias de Prensa Latina - Chile: el silencio norteamericano en el caso paquistaní

 

[RescueRanger]

Mashallah, god is great. Another blow to the doom sayers!