AMSTERDAM, 06/12/05 - The 17 year old Muslim girl referred to as Malika yesterday refused to say a word on the Hofstad group. She opened the big court case against the alleged terrorist organisation.

Malika earlier made an incriminating statement to the police on the existence of Hofstad. Because she did not want to repeat this to the investigating judge, she was taken into custody by the court last week. Yesterday, the girl declined to say anything at all. She did not even say her name.

According to the Public Prosecutor (OM), Malika told police that Nouriddin El Fatmi wanted to murder MPs Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Geert Wilders. The girl also described how Nouriddin demonstrated how to cut people's throats. He was also said to have told her that she must drive into a shopping centre with a car full of explosives.

Malika was unofficially married to El Fatmi. This 'wedding' was sworn in by Mohammed Bouyeri, the murderer of Theo van Gogh. El Fatmi was arrested on 22 June at Lelylaan station in Amsterdam. He was carrying a loaded machine-gun in a rucksack. Two other Muslim women were with him.

The court exhaustively confronted Malika yesterday with the statement she gave the police. She refused to respond, possibly because last month, a letter was delivered to her home calling on her to withdraw or change her evidence. The letter abjured her to fear for Allah on the day of judgement. "May Allah guide you and otherwise break our back," said the letter, part of which was read out by the president of the court, A. de Boer yesterday.

Prosecutor K. Plooy said he had spoken with Malika, her father and brother. According to Plooy, the family experienced the letter as threatening. A. Meijer, the lawyer for Malika, however claimed that her refusal to answer had nothing to do with the letter.

According to Plooy, Malika's police statement can still be used as evidence, with the fact that the girl may not have repeated the statement but also did not withdraw it also playing a role. Additionally, Plooy has other witnesses that support Malika's story. The court decided Malika should not be remanded in custody any longer, because expectations are that she will remain adamant in her refusal to answer questions.

The court case against 13 suspects of the Hofstad group that began yesterday will take ten weeks. The verdict is due on 24 February. On Thursday, the first suspect Mohammed Bouyeri is to be arraigned.