Further postponement of trial for the attack against the Government Palace

ALGIERS - The trial of the bombing against the government palace April 11, 2007 in Algiers was postponed again Tuesday to the next criminal session of court scheduled to open in May.

•    The bombing had killed 20 people and injured over 222.
•    The presiding judge Omar Benkherchi said he had agreed to the postponement due to the absence of counsel for one of the accused who recently surrendered to the security services.
•    The trial had already been postponed once on March 14 because of the absence of defense of some accused.
•    Eighteen people were charged in the case, including a leader of Al Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) Abdelmalek Droudkel, absent. They have already been convicted in other attacks.
•    According to the indictment, the defendants are part of an armed group operating in the region of Thenia, near Boumerdes (50 km east of Algiers) and affiliated with AQIM.
•    The attack against the government palace had been committed at the same time as another against the seat of urban security in Bab Ezzouar, a suburb of the capital near the airport.
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• Ennaharonline/ M. O.