Honenu Attorney Avichai Hajbi; Photo credit: Honenu
Wednesday, December 18, 2024, 16:13 On the eve of Tisha B’Av (August 12), six Jewish youths were detained in Jerusalem on suspicion of attacking Arabs in the Old City. The youths were held in remand for two weeks under harsh conditions, after which they were released to house arrest for one month and indicted for racially motivated serious assault. In mid-December, the State Attorney’s office informed the youths’ attorneys that they had withdrawn the indictment, but did not offer an explanation for the decision. Honenu Attorneys Moshe Poleski and Avichai Hajbi are representing the youths.
Attorney Poleski issued a statement: “Once again, Jewish youths have found themselves detained behind bars for a long time only for, in the end, the accuser to withdraw the indictment. We thank the accuser for eventually demonstrating fairness in the case. However, the subject of detentions in Israel must be re-examined. The legislature intended for detention to be a last resort, particularly when youths are involved.”
Attorney Hajbi added: “From the first day of their detention, the minors asserted that the premise of the State Attorney’s office was erroneous. They rushed to indict the minors, and then suddenly new evidence was discovered, and the case was shelved. This is criminal carelessness for which minors, none of whom have a criminal record, paid the price with two weeks of false detention.”