AMMAN, Jordan, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Three defendants accused of smuggling and storing weapons for Hamas in Jordan have Wednesday accused the authorities of fabricating the case against them.
The defendants told the State Security Court in the Jordanian capital, Amman, their earlier confessions were extracted by force, insisting they were not assigned by any Palestinian Hamas members to transport weapons or target Jordanian military and civilian installations.
"The whole weapons issue is fabricated," said Ayman Naji.
The two other defendants in the case, Ahmad Abu Rabih and Ahmad Abu Thiyab, also claimed they were tortured by intelligence officers into signing false confessions.
The Jordanian authorities last May said they foiled a Hamas terrorist plot targeting the kingdom, including smuggling weapons from Syria and storing them in Jordanian territories. They said they initially arrested 21 people, but released 18 of them before the end of the year. The Palestinian Islamic group categorically denied the accusation.
Meanwhile, the defense lawyer representing the three defendants, Mousa al-Abdullat, requested the military tribunal to summon Hamas political chief Khaled Mishaal, Hamas member Moayyad Hamdan, Jordanian Prime Minister Maarouf Bakhit and Jordanian Government spokesman Nasser Judeh to listen to the defense testimonies in court.
The Jordanian authorities in 1999 deported Mishaal, now based in Damascus, and refused to allow him to return to the kingdom until he renounces his membership in Hamas.
He and three other prominent Hamas members -- all Jordanian citizens -- were expelled in violation of the constitution that forbids the deportation of Jordanians from their country. The government noted it is illegal for any Jordanian to be a member of any non-Jordanian political group and cracked down on Hamas, closing down its offices.
