No freedom for women in terror case

Four Muslim women charged with terrorism will spend both Christmas and New Year holidays at the Shimo la Tewa Prison.

This is after a magistrate postponed their trial to January 15, next year.

The women also lost a bid to be detained at a police station instead of the Shimo la Tewa Prison where they have been held for most of the time they have been in State custody.

They are now contesting two new charges brought by the State against them, in addition to the first one of belonging to the Al Qaida-linked Al Shabaab and have raised objections, which the magistrate said yesterday would be discussed in court next year.

The women have not pleaded to the new charges.

Principal Magistrate Henry Rotich postponed the plea-taking against Maryam Said Aboud and Khadija Abdulkadir Abubakar of Malindi, Halima Adan Ali of Mombasa and Ummul Khayr Sadir Abdalla from Zanzibar until he listened and determined the preliminary objection raised by defense lawyers Hamisi Mwadzogo and Chacha Mwita.

The women will remain in prison despite a High Court order freeing them on bond for the first charge and the defense wants the prison authorities holding them cited for contempt of court.

Early this month, the State pressed two new terror charges against them before a separate Magistrates' Court.