A woman accused of expressing support for Hamas a day after its militants entered Israel told a crowd that the attacks on Saturday 7 October 2023 were “a victory” and “inspiring to see”, a jury was told.
Hanin Barghouthi, 24, is alleged to have reacted with “joy” and “support” to the news that the banned organisation had attacked Israel.
Barghouthi is accused of expressing an “opinion or belief” in support of Hamas during a speech that she made at a rally at the Clock Tower, in Brighton, on Sunday 8 October 2023.
This came a day after members of Hamas attacked Israel, Michael Bisgrove, prosecuting, told jurors at Kingston Crown Court today (Monday 2 March).
Mr Bisgrove said: “We may all remember something of our reactions as the news unfolded over the next 24 hours.
“The reaction of Ms Barghouthi, the defendant in this case, was one of joy, of support for the actions carried out by Hamas.”
Mr Bisgrove said that Barghouthi had been “prepared to make a speech” when she attended the rally in the centre of Brighton.
Jurors were told that, in her speech, Barghouthi told the crowd that “yesterday was a victory” and was “beautiful and inspiring to see”.
The court was told that Barghouthi said: “We need to celebrate these acts of resistance because this is a success.”
Mr Bisgrove said that the defendant “encouraged the audience to share her support and the audience applauded and cheered”.
He said that Hamas was a “proscribed organisation”, adding: “It is a criminal offence to express support for a proscribed organisation.”
During the opening of the trial, jurors were shown a video of the rally in which a crowd gathered around various people making speeches.
In her speech, Barghouthi can be heard telling the crowd that she is Palestinian, adding: “For me, yesterday was a victory.”
She further claimed: “Revolutionary violence initiated by Palestinians is not terrorism. It is self-defence.”
She ended her speech by saying: “I’m going to leave you with this.
“This is not a Muslim issue. This is not an Arab issue. It’s not a Palestinian issue. This is a human rights issue.”
The court was told that Barghouthi was arrested on Thursday 12 October 2023 and answered “no comment” to the police when asked about her “actions and motivations”.
Mr Bisgrove said that he expected Barghouthi’s defence to be that she “did not realise” that it was Hamas who carried out the attack on Israel on Saturday 7 October.
Barghouthi, from Brighton, previously pleaded not guilty to a single count of expressing support for a proscribed organisation, namely Hamas.
The trial continues.
Her email address is still open at Sussex university I see.
‘The court heard at the time of the rally, the defendant was a University of Sussex sociology student, served as co-president of the feminist society and a student union officer.’
That’s one student loan that will never be paid back.
I’m sure the female students felt very comfortable approaching her
Feminist? Hahhhah oh the irony!
Yes, she finds joy in the escalation of war and innocent people being killed.
There needs to be a system reset.
She seems nice…
Ms Barghouthi can be heard telling the crowd that she is Palestinian, adding: “For me, yesterday was a victory.”
She further claims: “Revolutionary violence initiated by Palestinians is not terrorism. It is self defence.”
A full day after the attacks and she claims ignorance?! Yeah, pull the other one…
So, shes a terrorism supporter and a liar.