(JTA) — The four men accused of assisting the gunman in two deadly attacks last year, including one outside a Copenhagen synagogue, were identified publicly as their trial opened in the Danish capital.
On Thursday, a three-judge panel released the names of the defendants, who are pleading innocent, according to The Associated Press.
Bhostan Khan Hossein, Liban Ahmed Saleban Elmi, Ibrahim Khalil Abbas and Mahmoud Rabea are accused of helping Omar El-Hussein carry out the attack against Copenhagen’s main synagogue on Feb. 15, 2015. El-Hussein, 22, was killed in a shootout with police hours after killing a volunteer security guard in the attack.
READ: Denmark synagogue attack seen as ‘wake-up call’
Hossein and Elmi are also accused of disposing of the assault rifle El-Hussein used hours earlier to kill Danish filmmaker Finn Noergaard and wound three police officers at a Copenhagen cafe.
At the trial, the prosecution showed images of El-Hussein, Elmi and Abbas laughing in a cafe after the synagogue shooting. According to Agence France Press, the three “are seen talking jokingly, and El-Hussein appears to act out pulling the trigger of a weapon.”
Prosecutors said at the trial that the defendants encouraged El-Hussein to commit the second attack and gave him ammunition, a hooded sweatshirt and a bag.
The trial is expected to run until September. If convicted, the defendants face life in prison.
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