Hamas man chose trial for fear of Israeli revenge

GAZA (Reuters) -- A Hamas militant who eluded an Israeli army manhunt chose to stand trial in Palestinian-ruled areas for fear Israel would assassinate him if he went free, the Palestinian justice minister said Saturday.

"The attorney general offered to release Abu Hanoud if he shouldered the responsibility for his own safety. But he rejected the offer and chose the other option, which was the trial," Justice Minister Freih Abu Meddein told reporters.

"We have previous cases of people being released and then being brutally assassinated," Abu Meddein said. "Abu Hanoud is very safe and is being looked after and protected by the Palestinian Authority."

MESSAGE BOARD Mideast peace

Abu Meddein said nine organizations had already urged the United States push for the extradition of Abu Hanoud for causing the bombing deaths of three American Jews.

A Palestinian security court sentenced Abu Hanoud on Friday to 12 years in jail "for forming military cells and affording them weapons and ammunition."

Palestinian-Israeli peace deals state that if someone wanted by Israel is tried by Palestinian courts, Israel cannot demand his extradition.

Abu Hanoud, dubbed by Israel the most wanted West Bank guerrilla, turned himself over to Palestinian security officials after fleeing a gunfight with a crack Israeli undercover unit last weekend in the West Bank village Assira al-Shamaliyeh.

Three Israel soldiers were killed by their own comrades during the botched raid. Abu Hanoud was wounded and another Hamas guerrilla was wounded and captured by the Israelis.

Israel accuses Abu Hanoud of playing a key role in two suicide bombings in Jerusalem in 1997.

The Hamas-led student council of al-Najah University in the self-rule town of Nablus demonstrated on Saturday against the sentence and hailed Abu Hanoud as a freedom fighter.

Some 150 students marched as masked Hamas members burnt photographs of the three Israeli soldiers killed in the raid.

Abu Meddein did not rule out the possibility of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat pardoning Abu Hanoud.

Asked whether he feared Israel would try to kidnap Abu Hanoud, Abu Meddein said, "We have always considered that."

In an oblique reference to Israel, the judge at Abu Hanoud's trial told him the court had not wanted to try him for acts "against the other side."

The judge said Abu Hanoud had instead been found guilty of "illegal things against Palestinian law and Palestinian interests."

As he was escorted out of the courtroom by police after the ruling, Abu Hanoud told observers, "Don't worry boys, this is something simple."

Hassam Arafat, the spokesman for lawyers who volunteered to defend Abu Hanoud, said on Friday he would appeal the verdict handed down less than three hours after the trial began.

Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, spiritual leader of the radical Hamas group, also rejected the sentence and urged the Palestinian Authority to release Abu Hanoud.

Hamas opposes Arafat's peace accords with Israel.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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