Saleh, the 16-year-old boy who was the subject of a brutal attack that left his upper limbs chopped off and one of his eyes gouged, appeared Monday for the first time before the State Security Court (SSC) as both victim and star witness in the trial.

Saleh told the court his account of the story and the circumstances of the attack by a group of men, according to an SSC statement. Following the victim's testimony, the court adjourned the session until December 13th during which it is expected to hear more witness testimonies.

The court is set to hear from a total 26 public prosecution witnesses in the high-profile case, which shock the country and drew nationwide outrage.

The assault occurred in the Zarqa governorate about two months ago when the teen was kidnapped, assaulted and left in the open by a group of 17 men, who are all in custody except one who is still on the run.

The assailants, including the fugitive, are being tried and they face multiple serious charges, including terrorism, criminal kidnapping, indecent assault, causing a permanent disability, resisting security forces and possessing a firearm without a license.

In yesterday's session, the SSC turned down a motion to dismiss the case, which was filed by the defense lawyers who argued that the SSC lacked subject matter jurisdiction over the case, and decided to continue the trial.

//Petra// AA