erol ıncedal
A Kurdish law student was found guilty by a jury of possessing a bomb-making document, it emerged on Monday.
Erol İncedal, 26, who has Alevi and Kurdish roots, is at the centre of one of the most secretive trials in British legal history.
He faced two charges: possessing a bomb-making document likely to be useful to a terrorist and planning a terrorist attack. He denied both.
After deliberating for five days the seven women and five men of the Old Bailey jury found him guilty of possessing the document. They could not, however, agree on whether he was planning a terrorist attack.
The decision was reached by a jury last week but only made public on Monday when the judge lifted reporting restrictions.
Prosecutors had sought to have the trial held in secret on national security grounds. After a challenge from media organisations, a judge ruled that some sections should be held in public, but a large part of the evidence was heard behind closed doors.
The retrial will be held next February.
TONY BLAIR’S ADDRESS
Officers discovered a slip of paper with the address of former prime minister Mr Blair and his wife Cherie on it in the car and planted a bug which picked up Mr İncedal’s conversations in the following days.
The defendant, who was born in Turkey, was heard on tape to complain about “pigs” to his wife and talking about going to a “Plan B”.
He said: “I made a big mistake. Some very important stuff was in the car. If they find it, I would be fucked.”
UNPRECEDENTED SECRECY
Accredited journalists were allowed to witness but not report on the majority of proceedings during the trial at the Old Bailey.
Two thirds of evidence – 40 hours – was heard behind closed doors in total, while 12 hours were in open court and accredited reporters were permitted to attend a further eight.