Geulat Tzion minors released from remand

Monday, May 14, 2018, 14:57 On Monday, May 14, the Jerusalem Magistrate Court ordered the release on bail of five minors detained near Geulat Tzion in the Shilo Bloc the previous day while protesting Arabs accompanied by foreign left-wing activists plowing at the site.
On the morning of Sunday, May 13, a group of Arabs accompanied by foreign left-wing activists arrived near the community of Amichai and the Geulat Tzion outpost, began to plow, and left Palestinian flags and also flags of other countries. A group of residents from area communities who arrived at the site to protest encountered police brutality. The police detained approximately ten residents. Five minors were detained on suspicion of disturbing a policeman in the line of duty, trespassing, assaulting a policeman and damaging property.
At the deliberation Honenu Attorney Nati Rom, who is representing the minors, stated that the youths are growing chick peas in the field in which the Arabs plowed, and were present in the field protecting their crop before the Arabs arrived.
In his decision Judge Elad Persky said that the police changed their minds concerning the accusation against the minors of assaulting a policeman. Judge Persky also ruled that other than the evidence of disturbing a policeman, it is impossible to determine whether or not they trespassed and no evidence to that effect was presented, neither was evidence of damage to property presented. The judge ordered the release of the five minors on bail.
Honenu Attorney Nati Rom: “My clients were detained yesterday morning on suspicion of assaulting a policeman, disturbing a policeman in the line of duty, trespassing, and damaging property. They were brutally detained as the police used stun grenades and tear gas and injured one of the suspects, who was refused medical treatment for almost one hour. Today the police demanded that they be distanced from the site for three months. The court ruled that concerning the charges of assaulting a policeman, trespassing and damaging property there is not a reasonable cause for suspicion and the police did not succeed in proving or showing any document confirming that the land is privately owned by Arabs, and ordered their [the youths] release without a distancing order for even one day.