The closed-door trial of 17 men allegedly behind the 1998 serial murders of several leading dissidents and intellectuals will resume Monday after the first session closed Saturday, officials said.
A spokesman for the Tehran military court said Monday's session would also be behind closed doors and that a statement on the opening of the trial would "probably" be released later in the day.
There was no immediate word on how many of the defendants were in court Saturday for the kick-off of a much-awaited trial for the murders, blamed on "rogue" intelligence agents.
Seventeen men are on trial while the 18th -- Said Emami, named by authorities as the mastermind behind the killings -- reportedly killed himself last year by drinking a bottle of hair remover in prison.
Secular opposition leader Dariush Foruhar and his wife were stabbed to death in their Tehran apartment in November 1998, followed several weeks later by three prominent writers known for their demands for greater freedom of expression in Islamic Iran.
The families of the victims fired their lawyers last week and are boycotting the trial after repeatedly denouncing the secrecy surrounding the investigation -- TEHRAN (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
