Diplomats meet Taliban over aid workers' trial

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Western diplomats acting for eight aid workers on trial in Afghanistan for trying to convert Muslims to Christianity have held their first brief meeting with Taliban officials in almost two weeks.

The diplomats met for about 15 minutes with Taliban head of protocol, Abdul Gaffoor Afghani, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul to address concerns about the closed nature of the trial, believed to be in its third day.

Diplomats said the meeting covered concerns regarding a lack of information about the trial, the duration of the trial, how it would proceed, and access to legal representation for the accused.

The diplomats also pushed for access to the detained aid workers.

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Families have not had access to their loved ones since last weekend when they were moved to another jail.

Taliban officials told diplomats it was not the right time for consular officials to meet with the accused, but said they understood the humanitarian issues and would allow the families another meeting with loved ones.

'Swap' offer denied

The Taliban have also denied any knowledge of a reported offer to swap two of the aid workers for convicted Muslim terrorists held in jails abroad, according to Reuters.

As well as the eight Westerners, 16 Afghan aid workers working for the same organization -- Shelter Now International, based in Germany -- have also been arrested and charged with the same crime.

The Afghan Foreign Ministry has not indicated when the Afghans might face trial.

Their cases are being dealt with separately from their Western counterparts.

The trial of eight Western aid workers -- four Germans, two Australians and two Americans -- is currently in its first phase, held behind closed doors in the presence of 22 religious and legal scholars.

A second phase will be open to observers to some degree, Taliban officials have said.

Taliban officials were also expected to show journalists evidence Thursday which they say implicates other aid organizations in seeking to convert Muslims to Christianity.

So far two other aid organizations, other than Shelter Now, have been expelled from Afghanistan for alleged proselytizing. The act of trying to convert Muslims to Christianity is considered illegal under the strict Islamic law enforced by the ruling Taliban.