X Muhammad Saif-Ur-Rehman Khan, the Pakistani who showed up at the American embassy in Santiago with traces of explosives, has been charged and released by a judge, in spite of the government’s intent to keep him in custody:
Pakistani charged in Chile for explosives, not terror
A Pakistani who was charged with illegal explosives possession was set free pending the investigation, but may not leave Chile and must check in with a judge every two weeks, a court source said.
Mauhannas Saif ur Rehnab, 28, had been detained since Monday under terms of Chile’s anti-terror law after officials detected traces of TNT on him when he visited the US embassy in Santiago.
On Saturday however he was not charged with violating the anti-terrorism law.
…
“He was charged with illegal possession of explosives, but not with breaking the anti-terror law,” a court source told AFP.Then “he was released, but while the investigation is under way, ahead of a final ruling, he must appear before a judge to sign in every two weeks, and he may not leave the country,” the source added.
The Left spoke out on his support,
Rehnab’s fate has stirred controversy in Chile, with leftist opposition members complaining that he had been held without charge, although under the provisions of the anti-terror law this is legal.
The government did not want his release:
“We would have liked to see this person remain in preventive detention,” said Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter. “We don’t believe that his checking in and not leaving the country is sufficient, so we do expect that public prosecutors will appeal.”
And now his parents are coming,
Opposition lawmaker Alejandro Navarro said he had learned from the interior ministry that the suspect’s parents would receive visas and would arrive in Chile on Monday.
What could go wrong?
