Honenu Attorney Gonen; Photo credit: Honenu
Sunday, September 8, 2024, 10:03 Five days ago, the Yehuda and Shomron Police and the GSS detained three Yehuda and Shomron residents, two of them minors. The detainees were taken to GSS dungeons and interrogated without being granted their right to meet with an attorney. Last Thursday, the prohibition to meet with an attorney was extended by three days for the minors, thus they will have been in remand for a week without the benefit of legal counsel. Honenu Attorneys Daniel Shimshilashvili, Moshe Poleski, and Assaf Gonen, who are representing the detainees, leveled sharp criticism at the law enforcement and judicial authorities.
Honenu Atty. Shimshilashvili; Photo credit: Honenu
Attorney Shimshilashvili stated, “Due to the gag order imposed on the case, we are not at liberty to divulge details about the scandalous treatment of the detainees who have been denied their basic right to meet with an attorney. Even detained terrorists are not always denied this right. Once the gag order expires, I have no doubt that there will be a great outcry that will obligate the legislature to make significant changes to the law that was abused by individuals still under the influence of the dangerous mindset that led to the October 7 massacre. Adherents to this mindset are liable to cause a complete lack of faith in the law enforcement authorities and the judiciary, while this trust is already at the lowest it has been since the founding of the State of Israel.
Honenu Attorney Poleski; Photo credit: Honenu
Attorney Poleski added, “Democracy, human rights, and detainees’ rights seem to be ignored when the individuals in question are ‘settlers’ with payot. If an organized crime head had been detained, nobody would have thought to deny him the right to meet with his attorney. However, when religious minors are detained, all human rights are negated with the wave of a hand and a signature on a document empty of any content. Unfortunately, the district court and even the Supreme Court approved these disgraceful proceedings.”