MADRID, April 26 (UPI) -- Spain's leading terrorist suspect denied Tuesday he was associated with terror mastermind Osama bin Laden, El Mundo reported in its online edition.
Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas of Syria denied he was in contact with bin Laden or a member of his terrorist network al-Qaida.
On Monday prosecutors attempted to portray Yarkas as the leader of a group known as the "Soldiers of Allah" and had provided assistance to those who flew commercial airlines into the World Trade Center and Pentagon killing some 3,000 people.
Yarkas is among the 24 suspects being tried by Spain in Europe's largest terror trial. He faces over 62,000 years in prison if convicted though Spanish law forbids he serve more than 30.
Among those also charged with "terrorist murder" is bin Laden, though Spanish law says he cannot be tried in absentia.
