Accused defies court in van Gogh murder case

THE man accused of killing Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh defied the judges at the opening of his trial yesterday, strolling into court with a Koran under his arm and refusing to mount a defence before civilian authorities.

Police escorted Mohammed Bouyeri into the high-security courtroom The trial was closely watched in a nation once proud of its cultural diversity, but now shaken by an act of violence which has tested relations between the Dutch and one million immigrants who are Muslim.

Prosecutors say Bouyeri, aged 27, attacked Mr van Gogh on an Amsterdam street on November 2, shooting him six times before cutting his throat.