Judge delays Moussaoui trial

Moussaoui could be sentenced to death

The judge overseeing the case of Zacarias Moussaoui, the only person charged in the United States in connection with the 11 September attacks, has agreed to delay his trial.

US District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema moved the trial date from 6 January next year to 30 June - after both Mr Moussaoui and the prosecution asked for more time to go through the mass of documents associated with the case.

Mr Moussaoui, a 34-year-old French citizen of Moroccan origin, is charged with six counts of conspiracy and faces a possible death sentence for alleged involvement in the attacks on New York and Washington.

Moussaoui is accused of being 'the 20th hijacker'

This is the second time his trial has been postponed, as proceedings were originally supposed to start on Monday - but Judge Brinkema gave Mr Moussaoui, who is acting as his own lawyer, more time to prepare his defence.

Judge Brinkema said that the "compelling reasons" for a delay "outweigh the interests of the public and the defendant in a speedy trial", adding that failure to grant a postponement act could result in a miscarriage of justice.

She also declared Mr Moussaoui's windowless prison cell inhumane and "an unreasonable barrier to his ability to work with the materials produced to him", and ordered that he be moved to a larger cell.

FBI documents

The latest delay means that Mr Moussaoui will have been in custody for nearly two years before his case comes up.

He has been in detention since he was arrested in summer 2001 after arousing suspicion at a flight school in Minnesota.

He had complained about the recent disruption of his preparation for trial when officials had to retrieve classified FBI reports from his jail cell that the government turned over to him by mistake.

Mr Moussaoui is not allowed to see classified documents, although the court-appointed lawyers assisting him are cleared to see them.

He is charged with taking part in planning for the 11 September attacks and is believed by many law enforcement officers to be the "20th hijacker" - prevented from carrying out his mission only because he was already under arrest.

Mr Moussaoui has denied involvement in the attacks although he has admitted to being a member of the al-Qaeda terrorist network.