The chief justice of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban said today the trial of eight foreign aid workers accused of promoting Christianity had begun.
"The trial proceedings started from today, but we can't say how long it would take as it depends on the pace of the gathering of reliable evidence and the reasons for a final verdict," Chief Justice Noor Mohammad Saqib told reporters.
It was not immediately clear whether the eight foreigners - four Germans, two Australians and two Americans - were in court.
Twenty-four staff from the German-based Christian relief agency Shelter Now International and 16 Afghan colleagues were arrested over four weeks ago on charges that could carry the death penalty.