Honenu Attorney Adi Keidar; Photo credit: Honenu
Sunday, February 2, 2020, 12:40 The “Mivtan”, the department of the Justice Ministry authorized to investigate complaints by GSS interrogatees, opened an investigation into suspected sexual harassment of one of the GSS detainees during his interrogations, which were conducted while he was prevented from meeting with an attorney.
At the first meeting between the detainee and his attorney, several days after the detention, the detainee told him about the conduct of the interrogators and at the deliberation which took place afterwards at the Petah Tikva Magistrates Court, the detainee specified to Judge Ophir Katavii-Rivlin what he had undergone.
The detainee was tired after a prolonged interrogation and his eyes closed. An interrogator approached him, pressed up against him and said, “Would you like me take off my pants? Open your eyes and you’ll see how pretty it is.” The interrogator continued to press up against the detainee and touched his leg. The detainee also stated that there were nights during which he slept only four hours. During interrogations the interrogators approached him until they were touching his face, cursed him, and spit in his face. When he was interrogated on Shabbat he was forced to listen to music during the interrogations.
Last week, the detainee, who had already been released from remand, was summoned to the offices of the Mivtan and gave a complete, detailed testimony of his interrogations.
Honenu Attorney Amir Bracha, who is representing the detainee, stated that the actions during interrogation constitute criminal acts: “For a long time the GSS prevented my client from exercising his right to meet with and receive counsel from an attorney. After I was able to speak with him, I became aware that, to my shock and dismay, during the interrogation, apparently because he maintained his right to remain silent, severe actions were taken against him, which amount to serious criminal acts. Unfortunately the GSS has not drawn the correct conclusions from previous cases, and despite the criticism, continues to blatantly trample fundamental, basic rights while carrying out criminal acts.”
Honenu Attorney Adi Keidar, who is also representing the detainee, severely criticized the conduct of the interrogators: “We hope that the detainee’s complaint has not fallen on deaf ears. The relevant authorities must consider, possibly for the first time, having the interrogators who systematically violate human rights, the rights of interrogatees, all the more so young interrogatees, stand trial or face disciplinary procedures. Unfortunately, over the past few years no such procedures have been taken. Perhaps we will be able to hear good news for the first time on this matter.”