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Additional arrest in the Nabi Elias case

admin — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:41:06 +0000

Wednesday, February 22, 19:45
Honenu reports that an additional youth has been arrested on suspicion of setting a vehicle on fire in Nabi Elias last week. The suspect will be brought tomorrow before a judge. Honenu attorney David HaLevi is handling the case.
To reiterate, on the night of the vehicular arson police forces raided the home of Z’, a Yitzhar resident, whose car was supposedly identified as being involved with the incident. See here. The remand of Z’ was extended by four days and in the end he was released by the police without an additional deliberation. See here.

Bat Ayin arrestee suspected of rock throwing released

admin — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:43:32 +0000

Tuesday, February 21, 11:36 Honenu reports that the police released A’, the youth arrested in Bat Ayin whose arm was broken by soldiers in the course of the arrest. According to the soldiers who were patrolling the community, A’ was suspected of throwing rocks at a bus driven by an Arab who entered the community of Bat Ayin.
To reiterate, yesterday (Monday) evening a bus driven by an Arab entered the community of Bat Ayin. Residents asked the driver to leave and he refused. The driver claims that in response several rocks were thrown at him. See here.
Soldiers patrolling the community claimed that they heard several youths discussing rock-throwing. The soldiers arrested one of the youths who, they claim, was involved with the incident. In the course of the violent arrest the soldiers broke the youth’s arm.
The youth was taken to the Gush Etzion Police Station where he was interrogated on suspicion of involvement with the incident. After a prolonged interrogation the youth was evacuated to the Hadassa Mount Scopus hospital. After receiving medical care the youth was brought to the Russian Compound detention center, where he remained in remand overnight.
This morning the police informed Honenu attorney Naftali Wertzberger, who is representing the arrestee, that the youth will be released without a deliberation in court and will be under house arrest for five days.
Honenu reports that the release of the youth without being brought before a judge begs an explanation. The violent arrest, the weak testimony and the rapid release indicate that the authorities are too quick to arrest Jewish youths and keep them in custody.

Violent arrest in Bat Ayin

admin — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:41:58 +0000

Monday, February 20, 22:52 Violent arrest in Bat Ayin
This evening (Monday) IDF soldiers arrested a youth in the Bat Ayin community of Gush Etzion. During the arrest the soldiers conducted themselves violently and broke the youth’s arm. According to the soldiers they heard that the youth was involved with an incident of rock-throwing at a bus driven by an Arab which entered the community.
During the evening (Monday) a bus driven by an Arab entered Bat Ayin. The driver was asked by several residents of the community to leave, and refused their request. According to the driver several rocks were thrown at the bus in response.
Residents of Bat Ayin told Honenu that a short time after the incident soldiers who were patrolling the community claimed that they heard a group of youths talking about the rock throwing. According to the soldiers they understood that one of the youths was involved with incident. In response the soldiers arrested the youth, violently, and in the process broke his arm.
Police forces who arrived on the scene took the youth to the Gush Etzion Police Station where he was interrogated about his involvement with the incident. After several delays by the police the youth was allowed to speak to Honenu attorney Adi Kedar.
During interrogation the youth denied all charges. Only after a prolonged interrogation was the youth evacuated by the police to receive medical treatment at the Hadassa Mount Scopus hospital.
Honenu reports that the police interrogators informed Adi Kedar, who is handling the matter, that after receiving medical treatment the youth will be transferred to the Russian Compound detention center, where he will remain in remand for the night. In the morning he will be brought to the Jerusalem Magistrate Court for a deliberation.

Arrestee suspected of burning vehicle in Nabi Elias released

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 05:49:15 +0000

Sunday, February 19, 16:56 Honenu reports that the Yitzhar resident arrested last week on suspicion of setting a vehicle on fire in the Arab village of Nabi Elias in the Shomron was released this morning.
To reiterate, last Thursday Arab residents of Nabi Elias reported that a vehicle in their village was burnt and that graffiti was spray-painted at the scene. (See here.) Also the residents claimed that they identified a vehicle suspected of being involved with the incident. The police checked the number of the vehicle and located its owner.
Early in the morning police forces raided the home of the vehicle’s owner, a Yitzhar resident. The forces entered the house without authorization, asked the resident to identify himself and after he did so, they informed him that he was under arrest. Within a short period of time the police announced to the media that a “price tag” incident had occurred in Nabi Elias and that one suspect was arrested.
The arrestee was taken to the Central Unit of the Yehuda and Shomron Police in Ma’aleh Adumim and interrogated there on suspicion of involvement with the vehicular arson. During the interrogation the arrestee said that he had been at home all night and is not connected in any way to the incident.
During the day the arrestee was brought to the Jerusalem Magistrate Court before Judge Eilata Ziskind. Despite the demand by the police for a five day remand the judge extended his remand by only four days, reasoning that the evidence was quite weak.
This morning the police reached a decision to release him without an additional deliberation on condition that he remain under house arrest for five days at his home in Yitzhar.
Honenu attorney Adi Kedar, who represented the suspect, agreed to the conditional release and reports that, “After the suspect gave testimony the sides conducted negotiations at the end of which the conditional release was agreed. This indicates that the investigating authorities understood that the suspect is not involved in any way with the incident, if Arab residents reported his vehicle number.”

Tuba Zangria mosque arson saga comes to a close

admin — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:56:12 +0000

The Tuba Zangria mosque arson saga has come to a close.
Honenu reports that the last of the “arrestees” in the Tuba Zangria mosque arson saga has been released by court order.
The “arrestee” is the vehicle belonging to a Yitzhar resident (married and father of four), who was arrested on suspicion of involvement with the Tuba Zangria mosque arson in northern Israel.
Two weeks ago on Thursday a deliberation took place at the Petah Tikva Magistrate Court on the request filed by Honenu attorney Adi Kedar to release the vehicle. Judge Oshrit Rotkopf ordered the vehicle to be returned to its owner, despite the demand of the police to keep it in their hands for further investigation. The judge ruled that the owners may not sell or make changes to the vehicle for a period of 60 days, in order to allow the police to continue to investigate it, in the event that there is a development in the investigation.
On Monday of this week the vehicle was released from the car lot in Hatzor HaGalilit to its owner .
To reiterate, approximately four months ago a mosque was set on fire in Tuba Zangria, a town in northern Israel. On the same night a suspect in the arson case was arrested at the Ariel Junction in the Shomron. The vehicle that he was driving was confiscated.
Later, three more suspects were arrested, one of them the owner of the vehicle. All of the suspects were released after no connection was found between them and the incident. However, the vehicle remained in the hands of the National Unit of Serious and International Crime Investigations.
The police, who requested to keep the vehicle in custody for 180 days, as the law allows, relied on confidential reports that were filed with the court during three deliberations held during the past two months.
Following a petition filed by Honenu attorney Adi Kedar, an additional deliberation took place last week in which the judge decided that there was insufficient material in the aforementioned reports to justify keeping the vehicle in police custody.
It should be noted that recently the media has publicized that among the residents of Tuba Zangria there are increasing suspicion that the mosque was burned by elements within the town.
In response to the release of the vehicle, Honenu attorney Adi Kedar said that, “On one hand we are pleased about the return of the vehicle, which signifies the closing of the saga. On the other hand, the focus of the police on only the Jewish sector is an outrage. In the end it becomes clear that this was not a “price tag” incident, especially in light of the most recent news from Tuba Zangria.
Shmuel Medad, the chairman of Honenu, also responded to the release of the vehicle and said that, “Too many investigations of this type are opened and closed in this manner, with numerous false arrests and the culprit not apprehended. It is strange that no-one in the system bothers to admit that and apologize.”

Remand extension on Yitzhar resident suspected of “price tag” incident

admin — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:55:18 +0000

Thursday, February 16, 18:36 The remand of a Yitzhar resident whose vehicle is suspected of being used in a “price tag” incident has been extended by four days.
Honenu reports that a short time ago a deliberation at the Jerusalem Magistrate Court on the case of a Yitzhar resident arrested last night on suspicion that his vehicle was used in an incident in which a vehicle was damaged in the Arab village of Nabi Elias in the Shomron has ended. The remand of the suspect has been extended until Sunday. The judge, Eilata Ziskind, added that the evidence implicating the suspect is quite weak.
Police forces arrived early this morning at the community of Yitzhar. During a search for one of the residents policemen arrived at the house of his neighbors. The police banged on the door and woke up the residents. After it became apparent that they had arrived at the wrong house the police continued their search.
When the policemen arrived at the house of the resident for whom they were searching they found it unlocked and entered without receiving permission. As a result of the noise a young child woke up and began to cry. When the parents woke up to the sound of their son crying they were shocked to see policemen in their house. The parents asked to see the warrant authorizing the police to enter their house, and met with refusal from the policemen and an additional reprimand that they weren’t taking care of their child who was crying in the middle of the night.
The police asked the father to present his identity card and after they identified him they informed him that he was arrested. The arrestee was taken for interrogation to the Central Unit of the Yehuda and Shomron Police in Ma’aleh Adumim.
In the announcement by the police they reported that in the village of Nabi Elias near Kalkilya a vehicle was burnt and graffiti was found. A vehicle suspected being used in the incident was found and its owner was arrested.
In the afternoon the arrestee, who is suspected of involvement with the Nabi Alias incident, was brought to the Jerusalem Magistrate Court for a deliberation and the police requested a remand extension of five days. Honenu attorney Adi Kedar represented the arrestee.

Arrested Givat Assaf yeshiva students released

admin — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:03:40 +0000

Arrested Givat Assaf yeshiva students released
Thursday, February 16, 7:54 The four arrested yeshiva students from the Givat Assaf kollel have been released.
The four kollel students arrested yesterday at Givat Assaf on suspicion of throwing rocks were unconditionally released last night after interrogation at the Sha’ar Binyamin Police Station.
Yesterday morning Yassam and border police raided the study hall of the kollel in Givat Assaf, claiming that several of the students had thrown rocks on a nearby road. The policemen detained four of the students for interrogation and conducted themselves violently towards the others who protested the detention and the manner in which it was carried out.
The head of the kollel and the rest of the students vouch that the students had been in the study hall from the early hours of the morning until their arrest and that there is absolutely no basis to the accusations of the border police.
The arrestees told Honenu that during the interrogation, which took place at the Binyamin Police Station, a border police officer entered the room in order to record how they looked and how they were dressed. The arrestees surmise that that was in order to coordinate their identification between all of the policemen who participated in the raid.
The arrested students told Honenu attorney Adi Kedar, who handled their case, that they were denied food throughout the entire interrogation, which had been lengthy.
During the interrogation the arrestees heard from the interrogators at the police station that the identifications made by the border policemen were not reliable and in the end, all of the arrestees were unconditionally released.
Conversation with the GSS
During their stay at the police station one of the students was called to a conversation with GSS agents, according to one of the policemen who was present. The yeshiva student who was summoned to the conversation reported to Honenu that during the conversation a GSS agent attempted to get him to talk by applying verbal pressure on him. The GSS agent claimed that he should talk and not be embarrassed of his ideology. The agent also claimed that there was no real disagreement between them and that he reasons that the learning a kollel student does is important and contributes to the State of Israel. The interrogator did not relate directly to any specific act of the suspect.
When the GSS agent did not receive the cooperation which he had expected, he switched to a barrage of threats: “If you do anything, I’ll fight you to the end, you and all of your friends. When I promise, I fulfill my promises. We’ll be sure to make your lives bitter…”
Honenu reports that, “The absurdity of this case is nothing new. For a long time already the forces entrusted with keeping law and order have been steadily increasing their abuse on individuals whose only crime is being a Jew.”

Yassam police raid yeshiva in Givat Assaf

admin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:39:35 +0000

Wednesday, February 15, 11:37 Honenu reports that a short time ago Yassam (Special Police) forces raided the building of the kollel yeshiva in Givat Assaf. The police arrested several young men, claiming that they had thrown rocks at them earlier. The young men were taken to the Sha’ar Binyamin Police Station.
The head of the kollel told Honenu that the students had been sitting and learning in the kollel since the morning and that the accusation that they threw rocks is baseless.

Second remand extension of Tapuah suspects in “price tag” incident

admin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:27:09 +0000

Tuesday, February 14, 22:22 The remand on the two young women suspect of vandalism has been extended.
Honenu reports that in a deliberation which took place at the Jerusalem Magistrate Court the remand of the two young women suspected of vandalizing Arab property and spray-painting graffiti in the village of Luban Al-Sharqiya has been extended by one day.
The police announced that tomorrow a charge sheet will be filed against them and the other arrestee involved with the case. The police will also file a request for remand until the end of proceedings. As reported here, last Thursday large numbers of police and GSS forces raided the community of K’far Tapuah in the Shomron. At the end of the raid the police arrested two young women who had poked holes in bags of cement (previously reported as sand) at a building supply store in the village of Luban Al-Sharqiya and spray-painted graffiti.
Honenu attorney Sinaiya Moses-Harizi, who is representing one of the women, reports that, “In my opinion the young women have remained in remand only because the case bears the sensational label “’price tag’ incident”. Examination of the actual acts shows that the case does not warrant a remand until the end of proceedings. There is no justification for taking a young woman, without any criminal record, suspected of such minor acts which do not present a danger to the public and keeping her in a prolonged remand.”

Brutal arrest near Pisagot Junction, youths later released

admin — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:46:22 +0000

Tuesday, February 14, 18:13 Four youths hiking this morning in the area of the Pisagot Junction were arrested by the police on suspicion of violating a closed military zone order. The youths reported to Honenu that during their arrest they were beaten by Yassam (Special Forces) Police. After interrogation the youths were released.
The youths also reported that during their hike the Yassam policemen jumped out, apparently in a planned ambush, and called out for them to immediately stop. When the policemen reached the youths they hit two of them and struck the head of one of them on the ground. As a result of the beating the policemen evacuated the latter for medical treatment after the interrogation. Civilians who were at the nearby gas station arrived at the scene of the arrest and demanded identifying details from the policemen.
The youths who were arrested were taken to the Sha’ar Binyamin Police Station on suspicion of entering a closed military zone. It should be noted that the area had been under a closed military zone order that expired last week and according to the police was renewed just now. Honenu attorney Adi Kedar was in contact with the arrestees at the time of the interrogation and assisted them.
At the end of the interrogation the four youths were released on condition that they agree to appear for interrogation if they are called.