The Trial of Majid Freeman, Day 3

With the prosecution’s case completed, the third day of Majid Freeman’s trial was the story of two “expert witnesses”. Both barristers – Tom Williams for the Crown; Hossein Zahir KC for the defence – gave reminders that their duty was to the court rather than either party, but their backgrounds and their interpretations differed greatly.

The prosecution’s witness

After a short delay to explain that one member of the jury had been excused for personal reasons, the trial resumed at 11.20am.

The prosecution called Dr. Burcu Ozcelik as their expert. Ozcelik works for Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a “defence and security think-tank”, which describes itself in the following terms:

A unique institution, founded in 1831 by the Duke of Wellington, RUSI embodies nearly two centuries of forward thinking, free discussion, and careful reflection on international affairs and defence and security matters.

Our heritage, bases in the heart of both Whitehall and Brussels, and extensive networks inside and outside governments, give RUSI a unique insight and authority.

Ozcelik answered broad questions on the history and two charters of Hamas. However, when she came to be questioned by defence barrister Hossein Zahir KC, questions about her knowledge on the issue were raised.

Zahir asked:

Your specialism is Kurdistan and Kurdish armed groups, is that correct?

After several objections, with Zahir reassuring the witness, “I’m not trying to trick you here”, Ozcelik finally accepted that this was the case. Zahir asked:

Have you written any books on Palestine?

“No”, Ozcelik replied.

Have you written any peer-reviewed articles on Palestine?

“No”, Ozcelik replied.

Bizarrely, Ozcelik repeatedly raised the issue of “Iranian influence” in the West Asia, which Zahir had to remind the jury was an entirely separate topic.

Nevertheless, Ozcelik did concede that the “red triangle” symbol – included in several social media posts, and which has been heavily relied on by the prosecution as evidence of Freeman’s support for a proscribed organisation – dates back to at least the Arab Revolt of 1917. She admitted:

It’s very difficult to get into the mind of someone using such symbols.

The defence’s witness

After a break for lunch, the defence called Professor Fawaz Gerges, a lecturer at the London School of Economics, as their expert witness.

Gerges confirmed his long history of publishing on militant groups. He had also travelled to Gaza and interviewed the leaders of Hamas as part of his research, and confirmed his fluency in the Arabic language.

Zahir took Gerges through the entire history of Palestinian displacement, from the rise of political Zionism at the end of the 19th century, to the Nakbah, or “Catastrophe”, of 1948, right through to the present day. During the 1948 Catastrophe, Gerges explained, armed Zionist gangs committed the Deir Yassin massacre. Women were raped, bodies were desecrated, and 30 babies were killed. Gerges stated:

This was not an isolated incident.

Importantly, Gerges informed the jury that the majority of Gaza’s citizens today are the descendants of refugees from 1948. He said:

Even today, they say ‘we are not from Gaza’.

At the end of the afternoon, Gerges was questioned by prosecution barrister Tom Williams. The focus returned to Freeman’s use of the “red triangle” symbol in social media posts. Gerges began:

Today, tens of thousands use the red triangle worldwide, including protestors on university campuses. If you want to tell me that they are all influenced by Hamas, I’m sorry, I just don’t believe you. It has become symbolic. Like the watermelon, or the keffiyah, the red triangle is a Palestinian symbol.

Williams asked:

But Hamas don’t use the watermelon or keffiyah to identify targets, do they?

Gerges responded:

Well, Hamas do use the keffiyah as a symbol. The Hamas spokesperson Abu Ubaydah was very famous for his speeches wearing the keffiyah. Hamas use these symbols because they already resonate deeply with Palestinian society. You cannot say it’s a “Hamas symbol”. It’s a Palestinian symbol!

At the back of the court, Freeman was wearing his own keffiyah, as he has been throughout his trial. Tomorrow, for the first time, he will take the stand.

Featured image via the BBC