Court levels strong criticism at Israeli Police, GSS and rules: Boaz Albert to be released

Tuesday, October 15, 2013 On Tuesday, October 15, the court ruled that Yitzhar resident Boaz Albert be released from remand until the end of proceedings. The magistrate court judge leveled strong criticism against the conduct of the police in Albert’s case. Honenu attorney Adi Kedar stated that, “We expect the prosecution to refrain from backing the actions of Major General [Nitzan Alon] and the GSS.”
The K’far Saba Magistrate Court decided a short time ago, to release Albert who is suspected of violating an administrative order banning him from entering Yitzhar. Judge Nava Bechor noted in her decision, that the police acted tendentiously in order to tarnish the defendant’s reputation and that the order from the major general is not a sign that Albert is dangerous. The police will appeal the decision within 48 hours.
“The police made every mistake possible,” said one of Albert’s friends. “They relied on a groundless administrative order issued by Major General [Nitzan Alon] which arbitrarily deprives Albert of the right to be in his own home and does not withstand the test of the court, time after time. The police must understand that his [Albert’s] struggle is not for nothing. His struggle is for the freedom to return to his home. “
The judge did not mince her words concerning the conduct of the police. In her decision she said that, “A definite feeling of tendentiousness remains, concerning the defamation of the defendant and the exaggeration of the level of danger he poses to the public. If he poses such an obvious danger why hasn’t an indictment been filed yet in such a manner that would render carrying out the administrative order redundant?” wondered the judge. She added in her decision that, “One cannot discern from the order that the defendant is dangerous. He is not implicated in even one violent crime against the policemen. … From the conduct of the police it can be seen that it was they who brought a large number of forces to detain Albert and made use of a Taser .”
Boaz Albert is the Yitzhar resident who was brutally shocked by the police with a Taser during his detention on August 15. He was released from remand and detained again several weeks later on September 24 after the police worked for four and a half hours to break the chains which he used to attach himself to a device he had built in order to thwart his detention.
Honenu attorney Adi Kedar stated that, “The court leveled strong criticism against the Israeli Police over the manner in which they carried out the detention, the timing and mainly the lack of good faith in filing an indictment which was not to the point and with questionable timing . The court accepted our position in full and we expect the prosecution to stop backing the actions of Major General [Nitzan Alon] and the GSS.”