An Arab judge issued a remand without evidence, the court released the arrested man

Wednesday, March 23 20:25 “A”, the resident of Adai Ad arrested this morning during a police raid on Givot Shiloh, was unconditionally released this evening from court.
“A” was questioned on suspicion of attacking Arab workers in the Shiloh Industrial Zone last week. “A” denied all charges, gave an alibi that was checked and verified, according to which he was at work with other workers at a distant location at the time of the attack. Afterwards a police line-up took place in which participated a student from Yeshivat Shilo, who claimed that he saw a group of people running from the area of the attack towards the hilltop of the yeshiva. The yeshiva student did recognize “A” in the line-up and even falsely identified two other people who were not connected with the attack.
Afterwards the police investigators informed Honenu attorney Yehuda Shimon, who was present during the line-up, that they would release “A” from the police station.
Honenu attorney Shimon reported that after a few minutes the investigators changed their minds and informed that an order had been received from the Judea and Samaria District Commander, Hagai Dotan, according to which the remand of “A” would be extended despite the fact that he gave an alibi and was not identified in the police line-up. “The police investigator told me that he did not know what to do being as he had no evidence. He told me that the court would certainly throw the case out of court, but he did not have any choice because the order was received from a high level,” said Shimon.
“A” was brought to the Jerusalem Magistrate Court where the police requested an extension of three days on the remand. Honenu attorney Itzik Bam represented him in the deliberation.
During the deliberation the judge examined a confidential report in which the intelligence material of the case was detailed. Judge Rubin was amazed that there was no mention of “A”’s involvement in the act. In response the judge decided to order the unconditional release of “A”.
It should be noted that the judge that issued the remand of “A” is Judge Assi Abbas, a new Arab judge in the Jerusalem Magistrate Court. “The ruling of Judge Rubin is decisive,” said Honenu attorney Shimon, “because the remand was issued by Judge Abbas with no evidential basis, which poses many questions concerning the conduct of the police and the court.
Activists from the area of Shiloh responded to the arrest, “We again wonder if we are encountering judges who are actually a rubber stamp for the persecution of settlers carried out by the GSS and the police. We hope that all involved reach the proper conclusions concerning the conduct of those handling the case.”