RICHMOND, Va. (Reuters) - Jury selection began on Thursday in the trial of a former Soviet army officer accused of being a Taliban fighter, the first military prisoner from Afghanistan to be tried in a U.S. federal court.
Irek Hamidullin, believed to be in his 50s, faces 15 criminal counts ranging from supporting terrorists to firearms charges. He is alleged to have orchestrated a 2009 attack on an Afghan Border Police base in eastern Afghanistan's Khost province.
Jury selection began in U.S. District Court from a pool of 130 potential jurors. Opening arguments are scheduled for Friday.