Feb 25 trial for 2 Malaysian men facing terrorism charges in Lebanon

PETALING JAYA: The trial of two Malaysians, detained in Lebanon for suspected links to the al-Qaeda militant group, will begin on Monday.

Muhamad Razin Sharhan Mustafa Kamal, 22, and Razif Mohd Ariff, 31, have pleaded not guilty to charges of preparing for terrorist action and for being members of the al-Qaeda organisation.

They stand accused of trying to enter Syria on a mission to carry out suicide attacks.

Counsel for both, Marwan Sinno, said Friday the trial would be held in a military court in Beirut and only those who were related to the case would be admitted.

The duo were detained at Beirut airport on Oct 18 after they were suspected to have been trained as suicide bombers.

They were charged before a military court in Lebanon on Nov 1 where they both claimed trial.

It was reported that when he was brought before the military court, Razif had acknowledged that he had met al-Qaeda people, admitted that he had previously been arrested in Yemen and was questioned by the special branch in Malaysia.

Razif, however, had denied meeting with a senior member of Jemaah Islamiah group - Yazid Sufaat - in Malaysia and acting as a recruiter for al-Qaeda.

Three months later, in Malaysia, former army captain Yazid and cafeteria helper Mohd Hilmi Hasim were nabbed at the Jalan Duta courts complex canteen while religious teacher Halimah Hussein was arrested at her house in Kajang.

Yazid, who was detained under the ISA in December 2001 for alleged ties to the Jemaah Islamiyah terror network and released in 2008, was charged in a Malaysian court on Wednesday with Halimah.

Yazid, 49, was accused of inciting terrorist acts that “threatened the public in Syria” while Halimah, 52, was charged with abetting Yazid in inciting the act at a house in Ampang between August and October last year.

Both claimed trial, which is scheduled to begin on May 20.

The court also fixed Feb 25 to hear the habeas corpus application of Mohd Hilmi Hasim, who was also detained with the duo on Feb 7.

They are the first persons to be arrested under Malaysia's new Special Offences (Security Measures) Act 2012.