JURIST - Paper Chase: Madrid train bombings suspects end hunger strike

[JURIST] The last of fourteen defendants in the 2004 Madrid train bombings [JURIST news archive] trial who announced participation in a hunger strike [JURIST report] ended their efforts Monday, citing a desire not to put additional stress on the court. The four defendants who initiated the strike on May 10, three of whom are believed to be the masterminds behind the attacks, were among the last to abandon it. Lawyers for the men said that the strike was not for "political or religious" reasons, but instead because the men, "who continue to condemn the bombings," were disgusted with the conduct of the trial and have lost faith in Spain's judicial system.

There are a total of 29 suspects being tried [JURIST report; video materials, in Spanish] in the National Court of Spain for connections to the attack. The defendants [BBC backgrounder] are charged with 192 counts of murder and more than 1,800 counts of attempted murder. Seven defendants are charged with belonging to a terrorist organization, while the remaining twenty-two defendants are being charged with collaborating with a terrorist group and the handling of explosives. AFP has more.

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