Daqamsa faces sentencing on July 19
Jordan, Local, 7/14/1997

A Jordanian military court trying a soldier for premeditated murder of seven Israelis said on July 13 it would announce its verdict on July 19.

Brigadier Mamoun al-Khasawneh set the date after an expert witness said under Jordanian law army private Ahmed Daqamsa had "diminished responsibility" for his actions because he suffered from personality problems.

Daqamsa has not denied shooting the Israelis on their visit to the Jordanian border territory of Baqoura four months ago and could face the death sentence if found guilty.

But doctor Awni Saad, a psychologist summoned by the court to shed light on Daqansa's state of mind, said the soldier had an "anti-social personality disorder."

Military prosecutors and Daqamsa's defense lawyers have both summoned psychiatric specialists in the final stages of the trial to validate their cases.

Prosecutors portray Daqamsa as a scheming, deviant assassin, while his defense team say he is a pious and patriotic man with mental problems, who opened fire after provocation.

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