Scuffles in courtroom as senior Palestinian tried

MARWAN Barghouti, a Palestinian uprising leader, yesterday distributed his own 54 count “indictment” of Israel during his murder trial.

Scuffles erupted in the Tel Aviv court between Palestinian spectators and families of Israeli victims, until police put the two groups in separate rooms outside the court.

“We will be victorious over the occupation,” Barghouti shouted before being led away, his hands shackled. Guards took him out of the Israeli courtroom several times because he kept interrupting proceedings.

Barghouti’s lawyers argued that he Israeli court had no jurisdiction because their client is an elected member of the Palestinian Parliament. Chief Judge Zvi Garfinkel said the trial would continue on November 21, after hearing the prosecution’s arguments on the jurisdiction issue.

As leader of Yasser Arafat’s Fatah movement in the West Bank, Barghouti has been charged with organising attacks that killed 26 people, ranging in age from eight months to 79.

He denies the charges.