| Indicted
in 2006 Nizar Trabelsi on Trial in
DDC as Belgian Official Describes
2002 Interrogation
by
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book
Substack
DDC COURTHOUSE,
June 6 – Nizar
Trabelsi was
indicted in
2006 for being
a member of Al
Qaeda who
conspired to
kill Americans
overseas.
On
March 30,
2023, brought
into court by
two US
Marshals,
Trebelsi
appeared
before U.S.
District Court
for the
District of
Columbia Judge
Randolph D.
Moss. Inner
City Press was
there, the
only civilian
in DDC
Courtroom
8.
Jump
cut to June 6,
2023 - now the
jury trial is
underway in
Courtroom 8.
When Inner
City Press
went, it was
again the only
person in the
gallery. On a
video screen
a Belgian
official was arrogantly
answering
about
interrogations
in 2002, at first
saying he
didn't know if
Trebelsi had a
wife,
and that
describing her
"coming to see
her husband,
with a baby."
Trebelsi
passed a note
to his lawyer.
Back in March Trabelsi
wanted
wants to
represent
himself, with
Marc
Eisenstein of
Coburn &
Greenbaum as
his stand-by
counsel.
Judge Moss'
initial
questions were
designed to
ascertain if
Trabelsi
understands
that he is in
charge of his
own
representation
and will have
no grounds to
appeal based
on ineffective
assistant of
counsel if he
is
convicted.
Trabelsi
repeatedly got
up from the
defense table
to move to the
podium - and
was stopped by
a Marshal. He
asked the
(French)
interpreter to
read to Judge
Moss a letter
to him from
his previous
counsel,
adding that he
has not been
able to read
all the
motions filed
on his behalf
and would like
them
translated.
Judge Moss
said that on
this, and
getting a
second
stand-by
counsel,
Eisenstein can
apply to him
for more CJA
funds. It was
unclear if
such requests
would be
docketed on
PACER.
Trabelsi,
who was a
professional
soccer player,
was extradited
to the US from
Belgium, and
was then
awarded
damages for violation
of rights.
There appear
to be no
photographs of
him since he
has been in
the US -
straight from
prison to
cameraless
court.
On
April 21,
Eid, for an
upcoming deposition
to be
conducted
inside the DDC
courthouse,
Judge Moss ruled:
"MINUTE ORDER
as to NIZAR
TRABELSI: It
is hereby
ORDERED that
the government
is permitted
to video and
audio record
the Rule 15
deposition
scheduled to
occur on April
26, 2023 and
April 27,
2023. Because
this
proceeding is
not a court
proceeding or
hearing, but
rather a
deposition,
such video
recording is
permissible.
Signed by
Judge Randolph
D. Moss on
4/21/2023."
But
when will the
government
video be
available to
the public and
press?
Inner
City Press,
now in DDC as
well, will
stay on the
case. It is US
v. Trabelsi,
06-cr-89 (RBM)
***
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