Honenu Attorneys Rom (L) and Keidar (R); Photo credit: Honenu
Monday, August 12, 2024, 9:25 On Sunday (August 11), Arab news media violated a gag order and publicized video clips recorded in the courtroom during the hearings involving the soldiers who were detained on the Sde Teiman military base on suspicion of assaulting a Nukhba terrorist prisoner. Honenu Attorney Adi Keidar, who is representing some of the soldiers with Honenu Attorney Nati Rom, wrote an urgent letter to the Beit Lid Military Court President demanding that the press be barred from attending the hearings and that the publication of the video clips be investigated.
In his letter, Attorney Keidar underscored the fact that the court allowed the press to attend the hearings whereas the families of the soldiers faced many obstacles when they tried to attend: “Since the hearings on the matter at hand [the detained Sde Teiman soldiers] began, we have experienced many obstacles when attempting to ensure the attendance of the families of the soldiers, their friends, and even assistants and representatives of various organizations in support of the accused, such as Honenu, It is undeniable that in addition to these difficulties which are irregular in a public hearing, we have experienced discrimination and obstruction against the accused and their supporters.
“In contrast, for the entire time, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit and the press were granted a free hand to attend the hearings, which demonstrates a lack of balance. Is it right for journalists to sit in the courtroom while the soldiers’ families wait futilely for many hours in the blazing sun to enter? And then, just as we feared would happen, several hours ago the Arab press publicized video clips from the courtroom in which the faces of the suspects [the soldiers] and their families are visible, in blatant violation of the gag order.”
Attorney Keidar concluded with several demands: “This scandal is the latest in a series of serious leaks regarding the investigations. I demand that from now on, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit and all journalists be completely barred from entering the courtroom. In addition, a thorough investigation must be conducted into the identity of the individual who shared the video clips in violation of the gag order. This matter must be immediately addressed with all due seriousness.”
Please click here for a description by the detained Sde Teiman soldiers of the incident.
Please click here for a statement from Hila, the wife of one of the soldiers detained at the Sde Teiman military base on suspicion of assaulting a Nukhba terrorist, who leveled sharp criticism at the Military Advocate General over his detention.
On July 30, the court ignored the soldiers’ concerned families and held a hearing in their absence.
Initially, Honenu Attorneys Rom and Keidar were prevented on various pretexts from meeting with the detainees and granting them legal counsel.