Tuesday, November 8, 2016, 18:29 On Monday, November 7, the Jerusalem Magistrate Court rejected a police demand for remand extension and released a 14-year old Jewish youth who had been detained. He was suspected of participating in a clash with a 17-year old Arab youth near Ma’arat HaMachpela in Hevron and also of assaulting a border policeman at the time of his detention.
Photo: Detained youth;
Photo credit:
Vered Levi, Esq.
The Jewish youth arrived at Ma’arat HaMachpela on November 7 for a family celebration. Near the site, an Arab youth cursed him and a clash ensued. Border policemen arrived at the site, detained the Jewish youth and released the Arab youth. The youth was injured as a result of police brutality during the detention.
At a deliberation the same day the police demanded that the youth be held in remand for four additional days for the purpose of interrogation. Judge Keren Miller rejected the demand and released the youth to several days of house arrest. In her decision she said that the young age and lack of any criminal record were a factor in this decision.
After the release, Honenu Attorney Ze’ev Wolf, who is representing the youth, stated that, “It became apparent during the deliberation and the interrogation of the minor that when he arrived at the area of the Ma’arat HaMachpela for a family celebration, the Jewish youth was verbally attacked by an Arab youth who cursed him for no reason. After a clash between the 14-year old Jew and a 17-year old Arab, two border policemen detained the Jewish youth and beat him in the process.
“In the end, the Arab who started the clash was interrogated as a complainant, and not a suspect. The Jewish youth was turned into a ‘dangerous’ suspect and the police demanded the extension of his remand by four additional days, in addition to the day he had been in remand by decision of the police officer. The court understood the situation and ordered the release of the youth.”
Wolf added that, “Unfortunately the Israeli Police have again taken a one-sided position in a clash between an Arab and a Jew, automatically turning the Arab into a victim and the Jew into an assailant, even though the Jew is only 14 years old. The court was not misled by the claims of the police and released the youth.”