A Jordanian-American of Palestinian origin, held in jail in Amman since December 1999 on charges of plotting bomb attacks and for ties with alleged terrorist mastermind Ossama Bin Laden, is on hunger strike to protest his 17-month detention, his lawyer told AFPtoday.
"Khalil al-Deeq started his hunger strike on Thursday to protest the fact that he has been held since December 17, 1999 without trial and without his case referred to court," Yunis Arab said in a telephone interview.
"I have filed several requests for his release on bail, the last time two weeks ago but each appeal was rejected," Mr Arab said.
"The last time I was told that his file was not at the state security court but with the military prosecution who, when I asked them, said the file was at another department," he added.
Pakistan extradited Mr Deeq, 44, to Jordan in December 1999 where he was then jailed and charged on four counts, including conspiracy to carry out attacks on tourists, including Jews, during New Year's celebrations.
Mr Deeq was also charged with membership in Bin Laden's military network, Al-Qaeda (the Base), and with making and possessing explosives devices.
Since he was formally indicted in January 2000, Mr Deek has not appeared before any court.
"My client is not guilty of any wrongdoing," Mr Arab said, adding that Mr Deeq had no links with Bin Laden or the group of 28 Islamists who went on trial in Jordan last year for plotting to blow up tourist sites in Jordan during New Year's 2000 festivities.
Six members of that group were sentenced to death last September.
Mr Arab said that Mr Deeq had been extradited from Pakistan "to give information" about that operation which had been foiled by the Jordanian authorities.
"Nothing incriminating was found on him. The only thing the authorities seized was a CD-ROM that contained general information about the Afghan war that can be bought by anyone from any shop," he said.
At the time of his arrest the FBI said that Mr Deeq - a US citizen who had worked in California as a computer technician - had a CD-ROM that contained bomb-making instructions.
Another Jordanian-American of Palestinian origin, who was sentenced to death in absentia in the September trial of the 28 Islamists, is expected to be retried later this month.
Raed Hijazi, was arrested in Syria and extradited to Jordan late last year. Under Jordanian law, a new trial is given to anyone sentenced in his absence who then returns to the country.
AFP