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Aid Workers Meet Lawyers
KABUL, Sept 29 (News Agencies) - Eight Western aid workers held in Afghanistan on charges of preaching Christianity met defense lawyers here Saturday as their trial neared its final phase, despite U.S. demands for their immediate release.
The two Pakistani lawyers met the prisoners for the first time since the trial began behind closed doors last month, and reported they were being well treated in Taliban custody.
"They were in good health and good spirits. They were very happy to see us," said lawyer Atif Ali.
The other lawyer, Besmillah Jan, said medicine and clothing had been delivered to the detainees from diplomats and family members waiting in neighboring Pakistan.
Diplomats said the trial process had continued despite the September 11th terrorist attacks in the United States and subsequent U.S. demands to Afghanistan's Taliban rulers to hand over Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden.
Washington has also asked for the release of the aid workers - two Americans, two Australians and four Germans - who were arrested along with 16 Afghan colleagues in early August.
So far the Taliban regime has refused to bend to either demand, responding instead with calls for a struggle if the United States makes good on its threats of military action.
U.N. special envoy to Afghanistan, Francesc Vendrell, said the Taliban should finish the trial as soon as possible and punish them with expulsion.
"I would like to appeal to the Taliban to put and end to this issue. It is in their interest in this current moment to be seen as forthcoming towards the international community," he said.
"I am also particularly concerned about the fate of the Afghans who are detained jointly with the foreigners in this case, because they do not have any country to worry about them and they could face the death penalty."
Other than a handful of aid workers and journalists in territory controlled by the anti-Taliban opposition forces, the detained Christians are the only Westerners remaining in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of U.N. and other foreign relief staff in the wake of the terrorist strikes in the United States.
"I guess they were getting pretty close to the sentencing," Pakistan-based Australian Consul Alastar Adams told Agence France-Presse (AFP), adding he also believed the detainees were being treated well.
"I do not know how much they are aware of the situation because news is not easy to come by there.
"They know that there were terrorist attacks and all foreigners withdrew from Kabul, but they have no idea of the magnitude of the crisis."
The detained workers are Germans Georg Taubmann, Margrit Stebnar, Kati Jelinek and Silke Duerrkopf, Australians Peter Bunch and Diana Thomas and Americans Heather Mercer and Dayna Curry.
Under the Taliban's interpretation of "Islamic" law, the maximum penalty for trying to convert Afghan Muslims to another faith is death. The militia has refused to explain the exact charges against the aid workers.
The lawyers said they had also met foreign ministry officials and the Taliban chief justice, who has been conducting the trial along with a group of Islamic scholars.
"The appointment was made with the chief justice for tomorrow at 10:00 am [0530 GMT] and the detainees also will appear in court," Ali said.
It will be only the second known time the foreigners have been given a chance to respond to the allegations against them.
In their first court appearance, most denied involvement in missionary work in Afghanistan and demanded more frequent contact with diplomatic and legal representatives.
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