Minister Ariel spoke to father of detained minor

Wednesday, January 2, 2019 18:25 Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Uri Ariel spoke to the father of one of the minors detained by the GSS on Sunday, strengthened the family and expressed criticism with regards to the way the investigation is being handled.
Minister Ariel opened the conversation with a show of concern: “I heard that your son has been detained by the GSS and that worries me very much. I am familiar with this situation and it is very problematic.”
The father thanked Minister Ariel for the call and shared details: “My son was detained on Sunday in front of his friends in class. In fact we have no idea where he is and what his condition is and we do not know what is happening with him. We only know about his remand extension and the extension of the order prohibiting him from meeting with an attorney. After everything that has been revealed in the media, we are very worried about what is happening to him, what is liable to happen to him.”
Minister Ariel replied that, “We have already heard about things like this, and at the time very serious things happened to detained youths who were under the age of 18 and no-one knew where they were and they did not have an attorney. This is unacceptable to me and I think that it should not be like this around here.
“We have also heard about the interrogation in Acco that the judge completely invalidated [due to confessions extracted under duress]. I already spoke to Knesset Member Avi Dichter, without mentioning the names of the families, just about the topic and the need to involve him as Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and he himself was Head of the GSS so he knows and is familiar with the situation.”
Additionally Minister Ariel said that he intended to broach the matter with Prime Minister Netanyahu: “I have been looking for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanayu. He is in Brazil at the moment so it’s a bit difficult to reach him. I hope to speak to him as the one directly responsible for the GSS. The GSS is his responsibility. He should get involved with this immediately. And I hope that you see the children back at home soon.”
The father requested that he transfer a message to the Prime Minister: “This act is not connected to him [the son] at all and we are certain of his innocence. And we ask that they [the GSS] take care of him, first of all that they take of him and that they don’t injure him.” Minister Ariel stated in response: “Amen, may it be so. Tell all the families about our conversation,” and added that they may turn to him as needed.
In related news, on Thursday, January 3, starting from 11:00, the minors detained by the GSS will be brought to deliberations at the Central District Court in Lod. Deliberations will take place on the appeals filed by the attorneys of the minors. One appeal is on the order prohibiting them from meeting with an attorney, and the other in on their remand extension. A separate deliberation will be held for each appeal and they are likely to be several hours long.
Outside of the courthouse, a demonstration by the families of the detained minors and their supporters protesting the remand conditions is expected to be held. The minors are being represented by Honenu Attoneys Adi Keidar and Nati Rom and Attorney Itamar Ben Gvir.