An attempt by Israel to pursue the trial of Palestinian leader Marwan Barghuti, was met with defiance today when witnesses refused to testify against the West Bank Fatah leader and denounced the proceedings.
"I'm not participating in this, it's illegal," said the43-year-old, who has refused a defence team and faces life behindbars if found guilty.
He also ordered his two state-appointed attorneys to saynothing.
"Excuse me, but you're not representing me. I do not recognisethose who are representing me," he said. "This court is onlyrepresenting the Israeli occupation. I do not relate to this dirtyprocess of lies. It only represents the occupation."
Israel's Supreme Court decided on Thursday to appoint a lawyerto defend Barghuti, despite his objection and the insistence of theWest Bank leader of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's mainstreamFatah faction that the tribunal was not competent to try him.
Nasser Abu Hmeid, a former Ramallah leader of the radicalFatah-linked Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, who has already been jailedfor anti-Israeli attacks, was the first of Barghuti's accusedlieutenants to be ushered into the court.
"This is not a court. I am not prepared to participate in this,only in an international court," he said in Hebrew. As he wasremoved from the court he put his hands over his ears and shouted:"Stop judging our people!"
Abu Hmeid was found guilty of a number of deadly shootingattacks on Israelis.
Another alleged associate of Barghuti's, Ismail Ghadaida, was shown avideo made by the police in which he described to security officersa roadside attack he was accused of taking part in.
Ghadaida is accused of carrying out a June 2001 shooting attackthat killed a Greek Orthodox monk near a Jewish settlement just eastof Jerusalem.
"You going to put a proper film on next?" he quipped, beforeroughly dismissing the judge's repeated question with a curt shakeof the head.
"Why did you bring me here? What's going on here - it's like afootball match," he shouted, grinning. "I don't want to hearanything here - do you understand?"
Asked to say whether or not his handwriting was on a documentpresented to him, he grabbed it and ripped it up.
Sitting between two guards, Barghuti smiled and nodded toacquaintances in the courtroom, flashing the occasional V-sign.
Unlike previous appearances, his entry to the courtroom wasunusually calm, without the usual chorus of angry shouting from thefamilies of those killed or maimed in militant attacks.
The session opened with a statement by General YossiKupperwasser, of the army's intelligence branch, who recounted alist of incitements to violence he said Barghuti, once tipped as apossible successor to Arafat, had made in the press.
Around 100 witnesses in all are due to be called over anexpected 14 hearings in the trial, Israeli court sources said.
The prosecution will present testimony based on documents seizedin Barghuti's Ramallah offices as well as introduce witnesses.
Barghuti was seized in an Israeli raid in the West Bank townof Ramallah last April and indicted in August on charges oforchestrating "terrorist" attacks against Israel.
Barghuti claims immunity from prosecution, saying he is a memberof the Palestinian parliament "kidnapped" by Israel and insists thatPalestinians have the right to oppose Israeli occupation of the WestBank and Gaza Strip.
One of his lawyers, Khadr Shkeirat, told journalists that Barghuti'spolicy of stonewalling the trial was working.
"This is a big failure for the Israelis," he said after thecourt went into a closed session. The hearing is to resume Monday. AFP