An all-female group charged with plotting an Islamic terror attack known as the “Mad Hatter’s Tea Party” were assigned plea and trial preparation hearings in a British court on Friday.
Mina Dich, 43, her daughter Rizlaine Boular, 21, and Khawla Barghouthi, 20, were arrested in late-April raids in North West London and charged with engaging in the preparation of a terrorist act and one count of conspiracy to murder. The trio appeared before a Westminster Magistrates’ Court judge leading into the weekend and received details on legal proceedings for the next four months.
“Justice [Tim] Holroyde set a plea and trial preparation hearing for October 23,” the U.K. Telegraph reported Friday. “The three defendants are set to stand trial at the Old Bailey on November 27.”
The newspaper noted that Ms. Dich and Ms. Boular stood by their legal representation wearing “traditional Muslim face veils covering their entire faces,” while Ms. Barghouthi “wore a hijab that did not cover her face.”
Prosecutors say the group planned to carry out a knife attack on “a person or persons unknown” between the dates of April 11 and 28.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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