Nelson Mandella will not attend Barghouthi's trial
Palestine-South Africa, Politics, 8/17/2002

South Africa's militant leader and ex-president Nelson Mandella said on Friday he will not attend the trial to be held for the secretary of the Fatah movement in the West Bank and member of the Palestinian Legislative council Marwan Barghouthi. But Mandella called for fair judicial measures by Israel against him.

This week, Barghouthi's lawyer told the media that Mandella approved to play the role of the neutral mediator in the first civil trial for one of the prominent symbols of the Palestinian Intifada.

A spokesman for Mandella said that "Mr. Mandella called for ensuring a just trial for Barghouthi but he will not attend the trial."

Worth noting that Mandella was imprisoned for many years by the racist South African government when Mandella was part of an armed opposition group aiming at restoring the rights of the black majority and eliminate apartheid. Israel was one of the few supporters of the racist South African regime then. Mandella later was freed due to an international economic embargo against South Africa, mainly led by the USA as a result of African Americans pressure, and Mandella became the first black president for South Africa.

Barghouthi is due to be brought before an Israeli court in September. Mandella said he did not talk to any representatives for the Israeli government concerning the case of Barghouthi.

Previous Stories:
  Barghouthi's trial postponed; court is illegal   (8/15/2002)
  Arafat: present events worse than apartheid; praises support of King Mohammed   (7/6/2002)
  Israel strengthens its apartheid system   (5/28/2002)
  World intellectuals condemn Israeli occupation   (3/26/2002)
  Solidarity voiced with the Palestinians in Pretoria   (3/23/2002)

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