The soldier; Photo credit: free use
Wednesday, May 24, 2023, 12:05 Honenu reported yesterday (Tuesday) that the General Security Service detained an IDF soldier in mandatory service on Monday and banned him from meeting with an attorney. The soldier is suspected, along with other assailants, of assaulting an Arab in Hadera approximately one month ago. The Hadera Magistrates Court extended his remand until next Sunday.
Honenu Attorney Assaf Gonen, who is representing the soldier, filed urgent appeals with the Haifa District Court to lift the ban on meeting with an attorney and to cancel the remand extension. At the request of the GSS and the Israel Police, the Hadera Magistrates Court placed a gag order on the details of the investigation.
This morning (Wednesday), a short time before a hearing was scheduled to take place, the GSS informed Attorney Gonen that in light of the appeal, they would not extend the ban, and the soldier would meet with him today. A hearing on the appeal Attorney Gonen filed to cancel the remand extension is also expected to take place today. Following the lifting of the ban, Attorney Gonen stated, “This is only the first step. We will continue to fight to prove the innocence of our client.”
The soldier’s family is very concerned about his condition and issued a statement: “It is a disgrace that this is how a soldier is treated in the State of Israel.”
Honenu Attorney Assaf Gonen commented on the situation: “It is highly regrettable that the Israel Police and the GSS have prevented a soldier in mandatory service from meeting with an attorney in a case that is relatively minor, over an isolated incident that supposedly occurred over a month ago. It is still not clear what the incident was. I am sure that the truth will come to light. We will do everything in our power to protect the soldier’s rights.”