TEL AVIV, Israel, May 20 (UPI) -- The Tel Aviv District Court Thursday convicted West Bank Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti of involvement in three murders and an attempted murder.
The judges acquitted him of dozens of other militant attacks maintaining there was not enough evidence to prove that he, a leader of the Fatah Tanzim in the West Bank, was specifically involved in the other attacks.
Barghouti, 44, was arrested in April 2002 and refused to cooperate with the trial. He dismissed his lawyer and would not recognize the state appointed defense attorney.
Barghouti repeatedly stated he was a freedom fighter and the judges had no right to try a member of the Palestine Legislative Council.
Israel Radio's legal commentator Moshe Negbi said the verdict might quash any ideas of putting other Palestinian political leaders, including President Yasser Arafat, on trial.
