Police preventing detainees from meeting with attorney

Sunday, May 25, 2014, 10:17 After Shabbat on the night of Saturday, May 24 a maleva malka (traditional after-Shabbat meal) was held at the King David’s Tomb complex with over 1,000 participants. At the end of the meal when approximately 300 participants remained several dozen youth barricaded themselves inside the complex in protest of the treatment Jewish visitors to King David’s Tomb are receiving due to the scheduled visit of the Pope. Some of the protesters chained themselves to the gravestone. According to reports from eye-witnesses received by Honenu policemen conducted themselves very violently as they removed the protesters. Policemen, apparently without the authority to do so, even broke into the inner complex of the Diaspora Yeshiva located within the King David’s Tomb complex.
Honenu’s legal headquarters has received reports of over 25 detainees, among them minors approximately 14 years old. Honenu is handling the cases of many of the detainees.
Early on the morning of Sunday, May 25 Honenu attorney Naftali Wertzberger arrived at the Merchav David (Old City District) Police Station in order to meet with detainees before their interrogation. In violation of the law police officers prevented Wertzberger from meeting with the detainees, including the youngest of the minors.
“The police are in a state of hysteria which is causing police officers to act in violation of the law and to withhold from detainees their right to consult with their attorney,” said Wertzberger in response to the police conduct. “This is a serious phenomenon and we ask that the court give particular attention to the issue.”
Honenu attorney Wertzberger filed an urgent appeal with the court for the immediate release of the detainees.
Also Honenu reports that three additional detainees who were detained on the night of Saturday, May 24 (after Shabbat) in Jerusalem and the Binyamin region by detectives from the Central Unit of the Yehuda and Shomron Police, will be brought to the Jerusalem Magistrate Court for a deliberation in the late morning/early afternoon hours on Sunday, May 25. The three detainees were apparently detained in order to prevent them from causing disturbances during the Pope’s visit. The detainees refused to sign on house arrest until after the visit. Honenu attorney David HaLevi is representing the three detainees.