Outstanding soldier falsely detained

Tuesday, July 17, 2019, 20:15 On the afternoon of Sunday, July 14, an outstanding soldier from an elite combat unit currently serving in the Shomron was detained for interrogation by the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division (MPCID). The interrogators degraded him and threatened him with loss of his place in the elite unit if he did not admit to the charges against him.
The interrogators did not present him with a specific incident but rather made general hints and statements about the charges. The soldier was released after being held for over 30 hours in remand, following urgent intervention by Honenu Attorney Adi Keidar, who sent a letter to the MPCID demanding the soldier’s release.
The soldier fully complied during interrogation. He was questioned by military police interrogators on suspicion of transferring information to friends in Shomron communities. Sources close to the soldier severely criticized the detention and stated that because he had been serving for only approximately two weeks in the Shomron, during which time there had not been any unusual incidents involving Jews, it is very difficult to understand why he was suspected of the charges against him.
The soldier is married, serving in an elite unit and recently received an award for outstanding soldier of the company. After the charges against the soldier were rejected he returned to full operation in his company.
Honenu Attorney Adi Keidar, who is representing the soldier: “This was a false detention of an outstanding soldier. Unfortunately we have once again been exposed to scandalous conduct by military investigative authorities who violate basic human rights and also demonstrate inappropriate and disrespectful conduct with regards to legal procedures.
“First of all one would expect that when there is a basis for such a serious charge, the investigation would be commensurate. In this incident the interrogators prolonged the baseless detention of the soldier when not for a minute did they present to him any evidence that indicated involvement with any crime whatsoever, but rather only a babble of mendacious information, while conducting themselves in a condescending manner, disparaging and threatening the soldier, and also his attorney.
“For many hours no action was taken and after the period of remand had expired, an unacceptable act was done, in the form of bringing him to an ‘interrogation’ which was solely an attempt to influence the soldier and to threaten him with the loss of his place as a combat soldier in an elite unit.
“We expect the higher authorities in the military judicial system to send a sharp and clear message to the interrogators that the detention, and also the interrogation, of an individual must be done according to law. We have addressed the relevant authorities concerning this matter.”