Last update - 00:00 04/11/2007
PA officers convicted of abandoning posts during Gaza takeover
By The Associated Press
A Palestinian military court on Sunday convicted six junior officers for abandoning their posts during Hamas' takeover of the Gaza Strip, sentencing them to up to three years in prison.
It was the first trial stemming from the week of fighting last June, in which the Islamic militant group Hamas routed forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah.
The officers put on trial had argued that they were being turned into scapegoats. Many Fatah loyalists, including senior security officers and leading politicians, fled Gaza during the Hamas takeover and have not been punished.
In its decision Sunday, the military tribunal convicted six of eight defendants for disobeying orders and leaving their posts. Two colonels each received three-year sentences, while three lower-ranking officers were each sentenced to 18 months. A sixth man received a five-month sentence. Two others were acquitted.
Defense lawyer Abdel Karim Hamad said he would appeal to the Palestinian Supreme Court, claiming the military had no jurisdiction in the case. He said there was no evidence of wrongdoing by his clients, and said, it is clear this court is looking for scapegoats.
The Supreme Court is expected to rule in December. Its decision will determine whether others go on trial.