Judge Rules Confession Admissible Despite Torture Claim

A federal judge ruled Monday that prosecutors can use a confession by a man charged with joining al-Qaida and plotting to assassinate President Bush, despite defense claims that the confession was obtained through torture.

U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee said he would explain his rationale in a forthcoming order.

The ruling came after a six-day hearing in which Ahmed Omar Abu Ali testified that the Saudi security force known as the Mubahith whipped him on his back, kicked him in the stomach and pulled on his beard to obtain a confession.

I would certainly be curious to see what Judge Lee's rationale is. As I have already said, the case appears to be rather weak. If that confession is all the prosecution has got... well, it still is going to be rather weak, to put it mildly.

tags: prosecution  terror  torture  law