71.   Three defendants said confessions were extracted by police beatings.

72.   Trials for political offences fall short of international standards because courts accept statements which defendants say were extracted from them under duress by police, Amnesty said.

73.   One defendant said he had received money from Iran for charity purposes, but not for espionage, it said.

74.   One defendant said he had received money from Iran for charity purposes, but not for espionage, Turan reported.

75.   The defendants all say they were victims of extortion, forced by dishonest fiscal officers to pay backhanders.

76.   The defendant said he stole the materials to demonstrate security lapses at the site, which has since been closed, and without knowing what the tube contained.

77.   The defendants said they were tricked by the Baghdad regime, which they said told them the hydraulic cylinders would be used for a civil petro-chemical project.

78.   The defendant said he had fallen while carrying the child, but this was disproved by an expert witness.

79.   The defendants said they had been acting under orders from Limonov to defend the Russian-speaking population.