Honenu Attorney Eladi Weisel; Photo credit: Honenu
Sunday, July 23, 2023, 7:25 Although the Jerusalem Magistrates Court refused a request by the Binyamin District Police to detain a minor, he was subsequently detained by the police one week ago. The police suspected the minor, a 13-year-old Yehuda and Shomron resident, of being a danger to the public. The police also brought the minor to a court hearing at which they requested a four-day remand extension. Judge Tzion Saharay rejected the request, released the minor, and leveled sharp criticism at the police. In his ruling, Judge Saharav wrote, “The court deplores the detention of an individual contrary to a judicial decision, and all the more so when the detainee is a minor who has not yet reached 14 years of age.”
Following the incident, Attorney Weisel, who is representing the minor, wrote a letter to the officer in charge of public complaints at the Yehuda and Shomron District Police headquarters demanding that they investigate the incident. In his letter, Attorney Weisel severely criticized the conduct of the police: “On July 16, 2023, Binyamin District Police officers detained my client, a 13-year-old minor, and brought him to a hearing for a remand extension. The detention of my client was carried out contrary to a judicial decision, despite the fact that the court rejected the request by the police to issue a detention warrant for him. The conduct of the police was extremely detrimental, all the more so because a 13-year-old boy is concerned. The abusive false detention violated a judicial decision. I will emphasize that this is not the first time that officers from the Yehuda and Shomron Districts have detained residents despite the refusal of a court to issue a detention warrant for them. I ask you to investigate this complaint, draw the correct conclusions, and verify that violations of this sort will not be repeated,” wrote Attorney Weisel.
Honenu Attorney Eladi Weisel commented on the case: “It is outrageous for the police to detain a citizen despite a judicial decision, especially when the detainee is a 13-year-old boy. Their contempt for the rights of Yehuda and Shomron residents has intensified.