Mumbai terror attack trial to continue despite confession News
Mumbai terror attack trial to continue despite confession

[JURIST] The trial of Mumbai terror attack [BBC backgrounder; JURIST news archive] suspect Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab will continue in an Indian court, despite Kasab's admission of guilt [JURIST report], a judge ruled Thursday. Judge ML Tahilyani ruled that Kasab's confession was incomplete [NYT report], but should be entered into the record. Kasab, the only captured gunman from the attacks, is faced with 86 charges stemming from his participation in last November's killings. On Monday, he interrupted his trial to tell the court that he and several others traveled from their native Pakistan to India to commit the attack, which claimed at least 170 lives at ten locations across the city.

On Saturday, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court began the trial [JURIST report] of five men allegedly belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba [GlobalSecurity backgrounder] militant group suspected of planning and coordinating the terror attacks. Two Indian defendants linked to the group have pleaded not guilty [AFP report] to charges related to Kasab's alleged acts and are being tried in an Indian court. In February, Pakistani officials conceded [JURIST report] that the attacks were partially planned in their country, and have also stated that the perpetrators traveled by ship [NYT report] from southern Pakistan to Mumbai, where they launched the attack from inflatable boats using outboard engines purchased in Karachi, Pakistan. One scholar suggested that an international tribunal be formed [JURIST op-ed] to prosecute persons involved in Mumbai attacks in order to avoid damaging the already-unstable relationship between Pakistan and India.