Wednesday, January 9, 2019, 11:50 On Wednesday, January 9, the attorneys of the minors detained by the GSS left the courtroom of the Central District Court in Lod in protest of the fact that the minors were not brought to the deliberation. Honenu Attorneys Chai Haber and Amir Bracha, who are representing the minors, refused to take part in the deliberation on the appeal they had filed until the minors were brought from the interrogation room to the courtroom.
Honenu Attorneys Chai Haber and Amir Bracha outside of the courtroom;
Video credit: Honenu
District Court Judge Hagai Tarsi, representatives of the GSS and the police remained in the courtroom without any representative of the minors. Outside of the courtroom the families of the minors waited with their attorneys to see how Judge Tarsi would rule.
Honenu Attorney Chai Haber stated that, “A new level has been reached today. We filed an appeal with the [Central] District Court on the remand extension ordered by the Magistrates Court. As we all know, proceedings on a remand are held with the suspect present in the courtroom. Here the investigating unit decided that they did not want to bring them [the suspects] and they did want to hold the deliberation without their presence. This is not right. This is not done. Proceedings on a remand do not take place without the presence of the suspect, and therefore we, all of the attorneys, rose and left the courtroom.
“If the system wants to hold deliberations with only one side present, then they should do so. If the suspects are not present here, we will not be present either. They should decide what they want to decide. The investigating authority and the court can talk to each other. Let them discuss the matter between themselves. If they want to extend the remand, if they want to accept the appeal, they should do whatever they want. We will not participate in this game. There are limits.
“We exited the courtroom and are waiting for the court to inform us of the answer. We will participate in deliberations only if the suspects are present. They are minors without a criminal record and some of them are under the age of 16,” added Haber.