BERLIN, Feb 15 (AFP) - Israel's former ambassador to Germany acknowledged Friday that Israeli security agents did not have a legitimate excuse of self-defence when they shot dead four Kurdish demonstrators outside the Israeli consulate here in 1999.
"At the time I was convinced it was legitimate self-defence because the security agents themselves were sure of this," Avi Primor told newspaper Tageszeitung for its Saturday edition. "But now I know it wasn't like that."

The Kurds demonstrated violently at the consulate in protest at what they believed was an Israeli role in Turkey's capture of Abdullah Ocalan, head of the Kurdish separatist movement, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Two guards opened fire when they stormed the building. 

The former envoy said he had believed at the time the demonstrators had been planning to take hostages or kill somebody.

But Primor later realised his fears were groundless, as shown by a later trial of Kurdish demonstrators and the investigations, he told the newspaper.

Three demonstrators received suspended jail sentences ranging between nine months and two years from a German court.

The trial of another four Kurds charged with storming the consulate continues.

The defendants, aged between 18 and 22, face charges of deprivation of liberty and grave breach of the public peace for allegedly forcing their way into the building and holding a female employee hostage for two hours.

German authorities expressed serious reservations about the Israeli argument that the guards were justified in their actions because they were acting in self-defence.

But no legal action was taken against them because they were protected by diplomatic immunity.