[JURIST] Rabei Osman Sayed Ahmed [CBC profile], alleged to have masterminded the 2004 Madrid train bombings [JURIST news archive], claimed Friday in papers filed with the Italian court hearing his criminal case that he had been mistreated by Spanish and Italian law enforcement since his 2004 arrest in Milan [JURIST report]. In a handwritten pleading, Ahmed accused law enforcement officials of beating him about his face and body, and at one point severely breaking his nose. He also accused guards of humiliating him by forcing him to "pray" before them. Ahmed, whose trial opened in January [JURIST report], is accused of conspiring to engage in international terrorism under an Italian anti-terrorism law passed in response to the September 11th attacks in the United States. AP has more.

Ahmed's complaint came on the same day that Italian investigators accused him in court testimony of advocating Jihadism in Spain and recruiting young people in that country to participate in terrorist attacks. Friday's testimony came in addition to earlier wiretap evidence in which Ahmed took full credit for the 2004 train bombings; however, Ahmed continues to deny any involvement in those bombings. Reuters has more.