Violently detained Yitzhar minor released

Saturday, October, 19, 2019, 22:14 On Friday, October 18, the Petah Tikva Magistrates Court ordered the release of a minor who had been violently detained in Yitzhar two days earlier. The minor was released to several days of house arrest at his parents’ home, which is not in Yitzhar.
The minor was violently detained at his home on one of Yitzhar’s hilltops after the Golani Company Commander broke into his home with two additional soldiers. The officer claimed that he had identified the minor approximately one hour previously near an arson fire set several kilometers from the minor’s home.
At his interrogation the minor filed a complaint against the company commander and demanded that the incident be transferred to the Military Criminal Investigation Division (MCID). Additionally, during the court deliberation Honenu Attorney Adi Keidar, who represented the minor, pleaded that the soldiers had acted illegally and handled a minor violently. Keidar also demanded that the company commander who violently broke into the minor’s home without authorization be investigated by the MCID.
“They broke into the house. I didn’t understand what was happening and then the officer jumped on me and choked me. They handcuffed me and violently dragged me to the Jeep. A soldier choked me and forcibly, violently lay me down until we reached the exit from Yitzhar. During interrogation I demanded that the police have the MCID investigate the violent company commander and the [other] soldiers,” stated the minor.
Honenu Attorney Adi Keidar, who represented the minor: “Sorry to say, this time an act of incitement by the left-wing organizations, whose goal is to cause unrest in the region, succeeded. Unfortunately, after a faulty consideration an IDF officer decided to violently detain a minor without authorization and without cause, despite the fact that significant time had passed since the incident and the minor was at a site a far distance away.
“The police requested that the youth be detained for a week and I am pleased that the court rejected the request. Also, approximately one day after the detention it turned out that there is no evidence against the minor and he was released.
“We demand an immediate investigation by the MCID into the violent detention and we request that the soldiers who detained the minor be distanced from the area until the matter is clarified.”