A total of 11 suspects charged in Britain in an alleged a plot to blow up U.S.-bound airliners over the Atlantic have appeared in a London court, where a magistrate ordered all of them held in prison until next month.
A lawyer for one of the eight defendants charged with conspiracy to commit murder told the magistrate in the packed courtroom Tuesday that all allegations against the defendants are denied.
Three other suspects facing lesser charges in the plot to bomb as many as 10 airliners were also present as the magistrate reviewed charges. All of the defendants are residents of Britain and under 30 years old.
British police are also holding 11 other suspects who have not yet been charged.
Prosecutors have 28 days from the time of the arrests to charge the suspects or free them. More court action is expected this week.
Seven more suspects are being held in Pakistan.
British authorities say they have seized bomb-making materials, suicide notes and martyrdom videos in their ongoing probe. Other evidence is said to include fingerprints and DNA, and data from 400 computers and 200 cell phones.
Britain revealed the bombing plot on August 10. Officials said the suspected plotters sought to commit mass murder on "an unimaginable scale."
The announcement triggered tighter restrictions on carry-on luggage and widespread airport delays that began to subside late last week.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
