In a dramatic turn in a terrorism trial yesterday, the 15 defendants were each sentenced to six months on contempt of court charges after a spate of singing, chanting and dancing. The 15 had refused to enter the courtroom where their trial is in progress unless their family and friends were allowed to be present.
When the accused were brought back to court yesterday they were singing and toyi-toyi-ing, and as the judge entered they sat and chanted: Consolidate. Defend. Advance." The judge ordered police to take the defendants back to the cells. They were then brought up individually and sentenced for contempt of court.
The incident followed an order by Mr Justice DM Williamson that the public gallery be cleared until Tuesday. He said he had learned that the accused had sung and chanted when they left the dock on Wednesday this week, in breach of an earlier undertaking. The deal struck the day before was that the accused agreed not to sing a chant during adjournments and in exchange would be allowed to talk to family and friends.
After a brief adjournment yesterday while the gallery was cleared defence counsel Michael Donen reportedly told the court the accused refused to re-enter the courtroom while the gallery was empty and had instructed their lawyers not to proceed without them. "The accused say if they are not in court we should not be in court. We cannot remain in court without our clients. We have to withdraw," he was reported as saying.
The judge then adjourned for tea and ordered that the accused be present when it reconvened. "I hope it won't be necessary, but if they resist they will have to be brought up forcibly," he was reported as saying. Family and friends of the accused sat outside on the steps of the supreme court after being ordered out of the gallery.
This article originally appeared in the Weekly Mail.
