Popular Front Secretary General Ahmed Saadat, who planned the murder of Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi will remain in custody, after a military court rejected his appeal Monday.
Saadat refused to identify himself before judges and declared that he does not recognize the authority of the military court to try him. The appeal of another assassin, Majid Rimawi, was also turned down.
Saadat taken to court (Photo: Haim Tsach)
Saadat and four other Palestinians behind Zeevi's murder were arrested by Israel two weeks ago following a large-scale military operation and siege at the Jericho prison, where the men were held in recent years. The operation came after comments by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who said that he would not oppose the release of Zeevi's assassins from prison after the Hamas government was formed.
Monday's court session was held after an appeal was submitted on behalf of the five accused men by their lawyer, Mahmoud Hassan, against the decision to keep them in custody for 29 days.
Speaking before the hearing, Hassan said: "They were tried (by the Palestinian Authority) and are serving their punishment. There is lack of authority here by the State of Israel. From our perspective, they should be returned to Jericho, and there they must carry on serving their sentence. The State of Israel is planning to submit new indictments against them and that is illegal."
Wife: Mofaz should be tried
The session was held behind closed doors and featured just three of the five detainees - Majid Rimawi, Ahmed Saadat, and Ahed Ghulma.
When Saadat entered the court wearing the prisoner uniform issued by the Prison Service, he shouted to the media that he would continue to act 'against the occupation.'
He was then forcefully placed into the hall, where he refused to identify himself, saying he did not recognize the court's authority. He was taken out of court, and judges declared that his appeal was rejected.
Rimawi's wife said outside the court that Israel kidnapped her husband along with the other terrorists from the Jericho prison, and that Israel therefore had no authority in the matter. The wife added that Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz should be tried, whereas her husband and his friends could only be tried in the international court in The Hague.
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