US accused say Kabul trial unfair

Jonathan Idema (second from left) and his co-defendants

A former US soldier accused of torture and hostage-taking in Afghanistan says he has not been given full access to evidence he needs to defend himself.

The soldier, Jonathan Idema, is being tried along with two other Americans.

A lawyer representing another of the arrested men said the American FBI had interfered with crucial evidence before handing it over.

Mr Idema says his mission was approved by the Pentagon - a charge it denies. The case has been adjourned for a week.

Speaking before the third public hearing on Monday, Mr Idema said the authorities had already decided he was guilty.

But the judge said the three men had been shown the evidence which had been in the hands of the FBI.

Last week the FBI released material which could be used as evidence in the case.

'Beaten'

Mr Idema said the three men had had only very restricted access to the evidence turned over by the FBI.

The BBC's Andrew North, who is in the courtroom, said Mr Caraballo arrived in court using a crutch and showed journalists his feet which were badly bruised.

Nobody was hung upside down. Nobody was burned with cigarette butts, nobody was beaten, nobody was tortured Jonathan K Idema Profile: Jonathan Idema Ex-soldiers blur Afghan security

Mr Idema said all three men had been beaten regularly while in custody.

But the prosecutor dismissed this, saying Mr Caraballo had sustained his injuries because he had slipped.

The defence also showed video footage in court on Monday of the former Afghan education minister, Yunus Qanuni, meeting Mr Idema.

The video showed Mr Qanuni, a candidate in presidential elections due in October, congratulating the three men for arresting alleged terrorists and promising help.

Both the US and Afghan governments have denied any links with the three Americans, who have been criticised as "bounty hunters".

'No torture'

The three men were arrested in July and charged with torture, kidnapping and running a private jail in Kabul.

Idema claims he was working with the knowledge of the Pentagon

If found guilty, Mr Idema, Mr Caraballo and a third man, Brent Bennett, face up to 20 years in jail.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Mr Idema denied the men they are alleged to have detained had been tortured.

"Nobody was hung upside down. Nobody was burned with cigarette butts, nobody was beaten, nobody was tortured.

"Did we interrogate people? Absolutely. Did we keep them up with sleep deprivation? Absolutely."

During the last hearing, Mr Idema had claimed that hundreds of videos, photos and documents were removed by FBI officers after his arrest.

He said the documents would prove that "while we were not in the United States Army we were working for the United States Army".

Mr Idema said FBI agents had been present at one interrogation he had carried out of a man he described as a "terrorist".

He has also said he handed over a senior Taleban figure in May to the US military at its main Bagram base north of Kabul.

US spokesmen later admitted they had received an Afghan man from Mr Idema. However, they said he was not who Mr Idema claimed and had been released two months later.