Three Arab commandos charged with murder in an attack on an El Al airliner at Zurich’s Kloten airport last Feb. 18, killing trainee pilot Yoram Peress, went on trial today and announced to the criminal court that they would not answer any questions. On trial at the same time was El Al security agent Mordechai Rachamim, 23, charged with manslaughter in the slaying of one of the attacking commandos. The Arabs could get possible sentences of five to 20 years; Mr. Rachamim could serve one to five years if convicted. The trial of the Arab commandos is the first of its kind in Europe.
Immediately after the proceedings opened, the three Arab defendants–two men and a woman–announced that they would abstain from the trial for several reasons: The proceedings which had been prepared were wrong because of faulty translation: two assigned lawyers had decided not to defend them and they refused to accept the current court-appointed lawyer, thus being without proper defense; and they placed their “fate and future in the hands of justice and world public opinion.”
Mr. Rachamim told the court of his personal background which led to his joining the El Al security service in September, 1968. Since his release from prison, he said, he had worked for the Israeli Government but not in his previous capacity. More than 100 policemen guarding the courtroom heard him testify. Mr. Rachamim had been released on bail but the Arabs remained in jail. (The El Fatah Voice of the Storm radio station in Cairo today accused Switzerland of collusion with Israel in the trial, charging that the Swiss had unfairly discriminated in letting the Israeli go while the Arabs were kept in custody.)
Presiding judge Dr. Hans Gut told the defendants that their attitude would only hurt their case. “they have said previously that they wanted to awaken world opinion to their cause with the attack. The accused now have the opportunity to speak before the world. Why don’t they use this opportunity? I acknowledge that a man must possess great courage to (attack a plane) in a foreign country. Where is that courage now?”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
