Roshan Jamal Khan, the Indian national under arrest abroad in connection with a suspected terror plot, seems set to spend several more months in a Spanish jail as the trial in his case could begin as late as January and he is not eligible for bail, his lawyer said on Thursday.

Mumbai resident Khan was among 14 Muslim men picked from a mosque in Barcelona on January 19 and Spanish police allege they were planning suicide bombings on public transport in Barcelona. Four of them, including another Indian, were released later.

Khan, who is being held along with nine Pakistanis, was in Spain to explore the possibility of trade in olives, claims his family. Earlier this month, a high court in Madrid charged the men with being members of a terrorist conspiracy and eight of them were also charged with possessing explosives, although the court said they did not have enough to cause large explosions.

The accused, who got their first day in court on Tuesday and Wednesday, could face up to about 20 years in prison if found guilty of both offences. Khan’s family was hoping that he could at least be freed on bail while investigations continued. But his lawyer said since he was being held in a terrorism case, he was not eligible for bail under Spanish law.

“The first appearance in court was a minor affair, it was not very important or substantial,” Bernard Sallelas told The Indian Express from Barcelona.

“The detainees were told of the charges they faced and the judge asked them if they agreed with the charges and they all obviously did not.”

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