Two in court over train attack plot
TWO men charged with plotting an attack on a passenger train appeared in separate courts yesterday.
Raed Jaser and Chiheb Esseghaier were arrested in raids in Canada, sparking fears of a new terrorist attack a week after the Boston Marathon bombings killed three people and injured more than 200.
Raed Jaser and Chiheb Esseghaier have been charged with plotting an attack on a passenger train
Jaser, 35, arrived at the procedural hearing in Toronto with a long black beard and black cap. Details of the hearing are covered by a publication ban.
Jaser, who denied any involvement, was remanded in custody and will return for a bail hearing at a later date, his lawyer John Norris told reporters.
He would not disclose Jaser’s nationality but said he has been a resident of Canada for 20 years.
Outside court, a middle-aged man, a woman in a cream-coloured hijab and a younger man said they were family but would not answer questions.
Bearded Esseghaier, 30, a Tunisian-born PhD student, appeared at a court in Montreal, handcuffed and in shackles. He was remanded in custody.
Canadian authorities have linked the two to Al Qaeda factions in Iran.