Trial of former British officer accused of masterminding coup plot begins in Equatorial Guinea

The trial of a former British special forces officer accused of masterminding a failed coup plot against oil-rich Equatorial Guinea's longtime dictator has begun.

Simon Mann faces a possible death sentence in the case, which opened under heavy security in the capital on Tuesday.

Mann was extradited to the Spanish-speaking Central African nation in January from Zimbabwe, where he had been sentenced to four years in prison, though he was released early. He was first arrested in 2004, when his plane landed in Harare with 70 other suspected mercenaries to collect weapons purchased from Zimbabwe's state arms manufacturer.

A verdict is expected by Thursday.