Pakistani court to charge Osama bin Laden's family

A Pakistani court is set to charge five members of Osama bin Laden's family with illegally entering and living in the country, their defence lawyer said on Monday.

The Al Qaida chief's family has been in Pakistani detention since last May.

A Pakistani court will charge three of bin Laden's widows and two of his daughters on April 2 when the hearing against them resumes, said their lawyer, Mohammad Amir. The court gave the five women copies of the case and evidence against them on Monday, he said.

Pakistani legal experts have said the maximum punishment the women could receive is five years in jail.

Bin Laden and his wives were living with eight of their children and three employees in Abbottabad.

Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said previously that the children not involved in the case were free to leave Pakistan or could stay with their mothers for the duration of the trial.

One of the widows is known to be from Yemen, another from Saudi Arabia. The nationality of the third woman is unclear.

One of their relatives has reportedly visited Pakistan recently to urge authorities to let them leave the country. But it appears he was unsuccessful.