Judge released two suspects, police detained additional suspect

Friday, October 12, 12:04 Susiya: The court released two suspects, the police detained additional suspect
Judge Yael Yitav ordered the release of two out of the three detainees to house arrest. This morning Honenu filed an appeal with the Jerusalem District Court. Yesterday the police detained an additional suspect suspected of involvement in the clash.
In a deliberation which took place yesterday at the Jerusalem Magistrate Court on the three detainees from Susiya Judge Yael Yitav partially accepted the claim of Honenu attorney Aharon Roza, who is representing the detainees. Roza pleaded that the conduct of the undercover police constituted a very suspicious situation and that the conduct of the Susiya residents was level-headed and restrained in light of past occurrences at the site, which include the murder of Ya’ir Har Sinai, a resident of the community, and an attack on several other residents.
According to Roza the three detainees did not approach the site of the incident with the intent to assault and in fact two of them were not at all involved with the clash and were standing a considerable distance away, a fact which is confirmed by video clips which the police filmed. Judge Yitav accepted the plea concerning the two detainees who were not involved with the clash and ordered their release to house arrest. The police attorney who had requested a delay of their release until an appeal was filed, rescinded his request and they were released.
Concerning the third detainee, the judge ordered that he remain in remand until the probation service gives an opinion on an alternative to remand for him. This morning Honenu filed an appeal with the Jerusalem District Court on the continued remand of the third detainee and also on the release conditions of the other two.
Last Thursday two Arabs with a donkey came close to the area of Havat Har Sinai in Susiya. The two Arabs behaved suspiciously and ignored the demands of the residents to leave the site. After a short while during which the residents requested several times, to no avail, that the army come to their assistance, several residents approached the Arabs again and tried to distance them from the site. A clash broke out during which it became clear that the “Arabs” were policemen disguised as Arabs who had arrived in order to apprehend right-wing activists suspected of injuring Arabs in the area.
Yesterday the police detained an additional suspect in the case. According to the police an additional man was actively involved in the clash and succeeded in fleeing the site and as of this time has not been apprehended. The suspect will appear today before a judge in a deliberation on the extension of his remand. Honenu responds, “We hope that the Jerusalem District Court will end this witch hunt among the residents of Havat Har Sinai who were only trying to prevent a dangerous situation. We have already seen acts of the Arabs in the region who murdered Yair, hy”d, attempted rape in Havat Har Sinai, attacked residents and damaged agricultural areas. In light of the above mentioned incidents the residents conducted themselves fairly and carefully. The police must invest their creativity and their resources in ways that benefit, not harm, the citizens of Israel.”