Palestinians crack down on collaborators

Collaborator executions often draw large crowds

By Kylie Morris in Gaza

The escalation in violence in the Middle East is surfacing in many forms: suicide bombings, assassinations or targeted killings, and in the trial and sentencing of Palestinians accused of collaboration with Israel.

We are dealing with open doors, everything going according to the rules

Palestinian Attorney-General Khaled al-Qidra

As many as 100 people are reported to have been arrested recently in the West Bank alone.

One man, 24-year-old Khaled al-Okaa, is on trial charged with handing information to Israeli intelligence which led to the assassination of one of Yasser Arafat's Force 17 commanders in Gaza.

The State Security Court hears allegations that he helped to pinpoint the commander's car, destroyed by rockets from an Apache helicopter.

Mr al-Okaa is one of the lucky ones: He has a lawyer. But this does not prevent the prosecution presenting a confession, which he denies.

Israel's "assassination policy" has enraged Palestinians

The accused man says he can neither read nor write, and was tortured in prison.

Families of those accused of collaboration face great public shame, and only Mr al-Okaa's father, Sa'adi Khaled, comes to court.

He says that if his son was collaborating, then it is right he is punished, but says he does not believe that his son gave information which led to the killing of the Force 17 commander.

'Open doors'

Soldiers aside, the other substantial presence in the court is the media - whose participation is a matter of pride for Palestinian Attorney-General Khaled al-Qidra.

Justice is swift for alleged collaborators

"We are dealing with open doors, everything going according to the rules," he says.

But there were times when the media is prevented from recording what is happening in the court, and even forbidden to take notes.

Mr al-Qidra defends the press restrictions saying: "I can't give the file to all the world, it's not good for justice, for all the people to say this is right, this is not right.

"As if I'm making a trial in the street and not in the court," he adds.

The Palestinians also face international criticism that collaborators are tried in special security courts, not civil courts.

The attorney general says that is a result of the emergency situation which faces the Palestinian Authority.

Human rights threat

However human rights advocate Raji Sourani says such courts are fundamentally flawed.

"We are totally against the security courts in principle, and we don't believe justice can be achieved. [The accused] should be granted full counsel of defence, and tried in a civilian court," he says.

Alleged collaborators should also be given the right to appeal, something Mr Sourani describes as "a legitimate right for any convicted person".

Khaled al-Okaa will not be granted such a right; he stands quietly, and smiles nervously when he learns his fate is to die by firing squad.

The family of the assassinated man cheers loudly. For them, at least, there has been a kind of justice.