Salem Israeli military court, near the West Bank city of Nablus, convicted on Sunday Palestinian Legislative Council member Husam Khader, of what was described as “terror related†charges, working for an “illegal organizationâ€Â, and providing means for the resistance to carry attacks against Israeli targets.
Attorney Riyadh Al Anbas, who represents Khader, said that the “modified†charges against him included accusing him of handing 900USD to a Palestinian fighter identified as Amir Sawalma, who later on bought weapons which were used in attacks against the army.
Khader is a resident of the Balata refugee camp in Nablus, and a popular senior leader of the Fateh movement.
Also, Khader was arrested in March 2003, and placed on trial for what the Israeli prosecution described as “ties with Fateh’s military wing in Nablus, and transferring money from Iran and the Lebanon based Hezbollah party.
The prosecutor failed to prove some of the charges against Khader, a filed a new indictment against him, charging that he transferred funds which were used in purchasing weapons used in attacks against the army.
Also, the prosecutor claimed the Khader knew of an attempt to dispatch a suicide bomber to a military checkpoint.
Khader will be sentenced at the end of September 2005.
Arab member of Knesset, Jamal Zahalka, said that Khader represents the steadfastness of the Palestinian people, adding that the Israeli judges are only military official who serve the interests of the occupation.
“The modified charges prove that Israel and its interrogators failed to make him confess in spite of torture and bad conditionsâ€Â, Zahalka said, “This is a political provocative trial against a Palestinian legislator, it is the same court which sentenced Palestinian legislator Marwan Barghouthiâ€Â
MK Mohammad Baraka said that Israel should start prosecuting all of the officials who files fake charges against Khader, and created this political trial in the Israeli defense devices.ÂÂ
“We call on the Israeli state comptroller to examine the way Israeli security devices operate, and throw charges against Husam Khader, and leaders of the Islamic movement in Israelâ€Â, Khader said, “We admire Khader, and his steadfastness, we also congratulate our people for their steadfastness and persistence to achieve liberationâ€Â.ÂÂ
Both Zahalka and Baraka visited Khader on Sunday in Majeddo detention before he was sent to court.
They added that all of the Palestinian detainees, and political leaders should be freed from Israeli detention facilities and prisons, and called on Israeli to release all of the Gaza Strip detainees after the Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip.
Khader was interrogated for 90 days, and went through different sorts of torture without admitting to any of the charges against him.
