Barghouthi's trial postponed; court is illegal
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 8/15/2002

The Israeli court has postponed its first trial session for Marwan Barghouthi, the secretary of the Fatah movement in the West Bank, which was held in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, until September 5th.

During the trial process, Barghouthi said that he had prepared a comprehensive list of accusations against Israel in its being an occupation force in the Palestinian territories. He said that his trial by an Israeli court is a violation to the international rules and norms.

The Israeli judge who presided over Barghouthi's trial on Wednesday refused to permit him to continue his accusations, claiming that the court has legal jurisdiction, and that Barghouthi is a convict and should be subjected to the rules of the court.

The Israeli Hebrew language radio quoted the defendant lawyer for Barghouthi that the court does not have jurisdiction, especially since "Marwan Barghouthi is a Palestinian citizen that lives on an occupied Palestinian territories by a foreign force that has no right to try citizens under foreign occupation."

Al-Barghouthi's trial session was attended by the Palestinian intellectual Azmi Beshara, member of the Israeli Knesset Ahmad al- Teibi, and member of the Israeli Knesset for the Israeli Merits movement, who all stressed that Barghouthi's trial is illegal and expressed their stand in support of Barghouthi and the Palestinian people in their struggle against the Israeli occupation.

Barghouthi, on the other hand, said that the Palestinian Intifada will be victorious.

Barghouthi said in English and Hebrew, while the Israeli soldiers were putting him into the iron cage in an Israeli court in Tel Aviv upon the beginning of his trial on Wednesday morning, that peace and security are only attainable through the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Palestinian territories. He said that there will be no peace and no security with occupation, adding that the Israelis are paying a heavy price for the behavior of their governments which stand against peace. Barghouthi stressed he will fight for eliminating the occupation and establishing peace.

Previous Stories:
  Hamas approve document on strategy for resistance   (8/14/2002)
  Barghouthi in court today   (8/14/2002)
  Destruction of Nablus Old City,, a war crime, Palestinian minister   (8/13/2002)

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