Thursday, January 10, 2019, 12:17 At a press conference on Thursday, January 10, Honenu Attorneys Adi Keidar, Chai Haber and Amir Bracha and Attorney Itamar Ben Gvir leveled criticism at how the GSS handled the investigation into the rock-throwing incident for which students of the yeshiva in Rechalim were suspected and announced that they would continue their efforts to release the remaining detainee, whose remand has been extended by six days.
Press conference; Video credit: Free use
Honenu Attorney Keidar opened the press conference and said, “The police announced that they have requested the release of four out of the five youths suspected of murder. I think that there is no need to go into detail about what this means. This means that what we claimed from the first moment was correct, and there had been no need to detain these youths, who were not connected in any way to the incident. We are saddened, angered and hurting, but we will not give up until the remaining detainee has the same status as the others. Already today we will demand that the court release him immediately.”
Honenu Attorney Haber added, “I fully expect that, after an incident such as this in which the GSS, after they came out with headlines like they did, understood that there is nothing to the case, that they genuinely put their house in order. After all of the recent cases in which confessions were invalidated by the courts and their scandalous methods came to light, they must get their house in order and prevent the future suffering of others. That is my hope.”
Attorney Ben Gvir stated that, “The case collapsed. We said the same thing the entire length of the case. My colleagues Attorneys Keidar, Haber and Bracha, and other attorneys who handled these cases and I, have said explicitly that they [the GSS] have nothing. And our claims only strengthened after we saw the spins, after the GSS leaked details of the interrogations from an investigative case, violated the gag order and went to journalists with one spin or another. They were under pressure, and they understood why they were under pressure.”
“My client, like the clients of the others, sat for close to two weeks in the dungeons of the GSS. They spit on him, sexually harassed him, and did all sorts of things which are not allowed in a democratic state. So they didn’t crush limbs or stretch limbs. This is not Duma. But still the GSS interrogators crossed a red line. And my question is, who will return those two weeks to him? Who will heal his emotional scars? Who will heal the trauma that he experienced?
“I think that not only the GSS personnel, who as it turned out today gratuitously persecuted a yeshiva, violated the Youth Law, and yesterday raided the yeshiva for no reason, should be penalized. To what school in north Tel Aviv would they do such a thing? Where is the National Council for the Child? Where is the Minister of Education? One thing must be understood. Someone here must get his house in order. And someone here must reach the correct conclusions. And we turn to the politicians of the State of Israel to stop the unacceptable conduct of the GSS.
“You all should know one thing. Today it was these children. Tomorrow it could be any child in the State of Israel. This violation of human rights must be stopped.”
Honenu Attorney Amir Bracha, who is representing the detainee whose remand was extended, stated: “I am representing the suspect whose remand was extended by six days, and that is in deliberate disregard for the alibi which was proven. He was with the other individuals [detained in the case], but nevertheless his remand was extended. Of course an appeal will be filed with the district court, which will examine whether or not the distinction between this suspect and the rest of the suspects who were released is correct. At this stage we will meet at the district court.”
The father of S., whose remand was extended, told the press, “The court continues to adroitly ignore our sons solid alibi. The GSS chose our son as the victim. We don’t know why. Because they don’t know how to lose with honor, they have to show that they have something else.
“Insights have been revealed to us over the past few days with regards to the ability of certain systems in the rule of law in the State of Israel to conduct themselves recklessly and to take advantage of their power. This behavior is apparently for their political careers, and on the way they trample innocent youths and damage their lives and their emotional health. These insights are shocking. We believe our son completely. We are sure that he will be released within a few days because they don’t have anything on him. And I hope that someone will be penalized for the damage with which we will have to cope afterwards.”