[LINK] "Via Rail terror suspect can't find lawyer to argue he be judged against Qur'an"

[rfmcdonald]

Diana Mehta's Canadian Press article, hosted at the Ottawa Citizen, suggests that Chibeb Esseghaier--a Tunisian-born graduate student arrested on charges of planning in a plot to bomb a Via Rail train--is continuing his rather eccentric strategy of defense.

Chiheb Esseghaier appeared in a Toronto court via video link on Monday to discuss his attempts to find legal aid representation — a process which has so far been unsuccessful due to the specific and unusual demands he has made.

"I want that the lawyer help me to change the reference of my case from the laws used by humans to the laws of the holy book," he told the court. "I cannot take a lawyer who is not able to fulfil my need."

[. . .]

As the Crown prosecutor told the court the last potential lawyer offered to Esseghaier had been unable to represent him based on his demands, the Montreal man repeatedly asked to be allowed to comment.

"It's not me I refuse the last lawyer," an adamant Esseghaier said.

"He write on a piece of paper, he write and he sign that he is not able to convince the court to change the reference of my case from the Criminal Code to the holy Qur'an.

"He said to me I am not able to fulfil your need, so what I can do? I cannot accept him."