Bosnian man pleads not guilty in New York subway plot

NEW YORK - An immigrant from Bosnia-Herzegovina Friday pleaded not guilty to charges that he planned to bomb a New York subway.

Adis Medunjanin was arraigned before a Federal Court in Brooklyn on a revised indictment that included additional charges by US prosecutors. The charges said Medunjanin, and another suspect, Zarein Ahmedzay, were recruited to receive terrorist training in Pakistan in 2008.

Also appearing before the court was a third suspect Najibullah Zazi, who with Zarein Ahmedzay had pleaded guilty to charges of plotting to bomb the New York subway system.

News reports said that the three suspects in court Friday were classmates at a local Flushing High School in Queens.

Medunjanin was already charged with plotting to use weapons of mass destruction and to commit murder. He was arrested in January for alleged plans to crash into car while driving on the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge as a suicide attack.

Local news reports said Medunjanin’s defence lawyers plan to fight the charges.

“The government must prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt,” said defence attorney Robert Gottlieb. “So today, we, as everyone witnessed, took a clear step in that process, to see whether or not the government can actually prove, beyond a reasonable doubt by way of evidence, that Mr Medunjanin is guilty of serious charges.”