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Wednesday, June 29, 2022, 18:21 On the afternoon of Wednesday, June 29, the Ariel detainee and Honenu Attorney Adi Keidar were present at a hearing at the Ashkelon Magistrates Court. This is the first hearing that has been held in the case since Keidar met with his client. At the conclusion of the hearing, Judge Merav Amar Cohen extended the Ariel detainee’s remand until next Tuesday (July 5) to allow the police time to complete the investigation. The detainee has been held in remand since Wednesday, June 22.
Keidar spoke after the hearing: “During today’s hearing, it turned out that the testimonies given by many of those involved with the incident, including the detainee, corroborate each other fully and completely: The rioting Arabs armed with weapons initiated the incident by attacking the group of youths and throwing rocks. The need of the youths, of the detainee, and of the security forces who arrived on the scene – and fired into the air – for protection was obvious. Under these circumstances, the detainee’s claim of self-defense is completely legitimate. I think that the court has already understood this. The days allowed for the investigating unit to continue the investigation will, in our opinion, only strengthen the claims of the Ariel detainee. I hope that this will lead to a genuine investigation and the quick release of the detainee.”
The Ariel detainee is in his 40s, has three children, aged 6, 5, and 3, served in the Navy, and does not have a criminal record. On Tuesday, June 21, he and a group of youths were walking near the back gate of Ariel when they were attacked by dozens of Arabs with axes and other weapons. The following day, the Ariel resident went to the Ariel Police Station to file a complaint against the assailants and give testimony about the incident. To his shock, instead of taking his testimony, the police detained him and prevented him from meeting with Honenu Attorney Adi Keidar, who is representing him.
As stated in a complaint filed Adi Keidar, the detained Ariel resident underwent extremely harsh GSS interrogations. He was interrogated four times in less than 24 hours, deprived of sleep, and refused medical treatment. The intensive interrogations lasted for hours, including all night.