(29 Jan 1996) English/Nat
The man accused of killing Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin smiled and grinned at the cameras before he was asked to re-enact the assassination in court Monday.
Yigal Amir has pleaded not guilty to the murder saying he wanted to remove Rabin from office, but not kill him.
The doctor who operated on Rabin told the court it was the first bullet that Amir fired that killed the Prime Minister.
The fourth day of the trial of Yigal Amir proceeded Monday as scheduled, despite disarray in Amir's defence team.
The Tel Aviv district court appointed a new lawyer to help defend Amir after his first lawyer Jonathon Ray Goldberg, was reprimanded for not being properly prepared.
His second attorney, Mordechai Offri, resigned Sunday.
25-year-old Amir who has effectively pleaded not guilty to the murder of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin appeared relaxed, grinning at the cameras.
His father however did not look pleased as he made his way into the courtroom.
After media was asked to leave the court, Amir re-enacted the assassination on the night of November 4th last year at a peace rally in Tel Aviv.
He reportedly smiled as he showed the courtroom how he pointed the nine millimetre Beretta pistol at Rabin before firing.
At the defendant's request, he and a police officer re-enacted the scene twice for the court.
In court was Rabin's close friend and personal assistant, Eitan Haber.
Giving evidence Monday, Dr. Yoram Kluger, the head of the team of doctors that tried to save Rabin's life in hospital, said the first shot that struck the premier was the one that caused his death by perforating his lung.
Amir's new lawyer Avraham Pachter said Amir did what he did for ideological reasons and that he is not a danger to the country.
SOUNDBITE:
"What he was doing (Rabin) and the government was doing was against the security and the goodwill of the people"
SUPER CAPTION: Lawyer Avraham Pachter, Amir's lawyer
Israeli media reports said Monday that police received fresh threats on Amir's life.
As a result the defendant and the officers guarding him wore bullet-proof vests.
Amir, an observant Jew, has said he fired the shots at Rabin to stop the handover of parts of the West Bank to the Palestinians.
He maintains he acted for the glory of God.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
