US District Judge Lewis Kaplan recently allowed prosecutors to use a video screengrab of Sulaiman Abu Ghayth and his father-in-law Osama bin Laden sitting next to each other to jurors to support allegations that the defendant was a higher-ranking official in al-Qaeda. The screengrab is reportedly part of a video taken after the terrorist organization attacked New York on September 11, 2011, Bloomberg said.
The news agency said that Abu Ghayth was charged for conspiring with bin Laden and several members of the al-Qaeda members to killing Americans. Abu Ghayth is regarded by the US as the most influential member of the terrorist organization after bin Laden was killed in a secret military operation by Navy SEALs in may 2011.
Yesterday, the federal court in Manhattan began selection of members for its jury who will be hearing the trial of Abu Ghayth. Abu Ghayth allegedly conspired with bin Laden and another deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, to plan killing Americans. Abu Gauth also acts as a spokesperson on behalf of al-Qaeda, of which the the prosecutors are attempting to prove with the image.
The US government claimed in the video that Abu Ghayth warned about more attacks on the country. He also purportedly cautioned fellow Muslims, children and enemies of the US to not take any flights or stay in high-rise buildings. The US government also said that Abu Ghayth admitted that he was the one on the video after his arrest in Jordan. Bloomberg said he was brought to the US to be tried last year.
According to the news agency, Abu Ghayth was introduced to around 40 potential members of the jury in an oversized suit, dress shirt and tie. Kaplan also asked jurors questions that would sort out the individuals who might influence or contribute a bias judgement in the jury.
