DILI - An East Timor court began the trial under tight security Monday of 28 people accused of trying to kill the president and prime minister in an alleged failed twin assassination attempt.

The February 2008 attack left President Jose Ramos-Horta near death outside his home with gunshot wounds and narrowly missed the car of Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao.

The suspects, including ex-soldiers and an Australian citizen, appeared in a court in Dili on charges ranging from attempted murder to conspiracy to murder over the attacks on February 11 last year.

Rebel leader Alfredo Reinado was killed in the assault on Ramos-Horta's home.

Angelita Pires, the accused dual Australian-Timorese former girlfriend of Reinado, appeared outside the court barefoot and in traditional Timorese garb vowing she would "fight for justice".

"I will fight for Major Alfredo Reinado, I won't leave him. I will fight for justice," Pires told reporters outside the courtroom.

Her co-accused are a group of soldiers who deserted en masse in 2006 and their commander, Gastao Salsinha, who took over from rebel chief Reinado.

Salsinha and his men surrendered in a formal ceremony attended by Ramos-Horta last year after lengthy secret negotiations.

Ramos-Horta has said he may pardon the former soldiers, reserving his strongest words of condemnation for Pires, whom he accuses of goading Reinado into carrying out the attack.