Jerusalem, July 30: An Israeli military court sentenced Ahmed Barghouti, a senior Palestinian militant, to 13 life sentences today after convicting him of orchestrating attacks that killed 12 Israelis, Israeli media reported. Barghouti was an aide to his cousin Marwan Barghouti, the Palestinian uprising leader who is on trial in an Israeli civilian court, also facing murder charges.
Ahmed Barghouti, 27, was convicted of 52 counts including dispatching suicide bombers who carried out attacks in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem that killed 12 people and wounded dozens.
The two were arrested together in April 2002 in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Wearing a brown prison jumpsuit, Barghouti was unrepentant, telling reporters before his sentencing that had he not been caught he would have continued to orchestrate attacks.
Barghouti also affirmed his loyalty to his more famous cousin, whom many view as a possible future Palestinian leader.
The harsh sentence does not bode well for Marwan Barghouti, who faces similar charges of orchestrating attacks while serving as the head of Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction in the West Bank.
Marwan Barghouti has refused to cooperate or conduct a defense during his trial, claiming that Israel does not have the jurisdiction to try him because he is a Palestinian Parliament member. Bureau Report