Youth detained for “future misdemeanor” released

Sunday, February 26, 2017, 18:09 On the afternoon of Sunday, February 26, Jerusalem Magistrate Court Judge Keren Miller partially accepted the police demand that the youth detained on suspicion of intending to resist the destruction of houses in Ofra, be distanced from the community, and ordered that the youth be distanced for 10 days and not for the 15 the police had demanded.
Judge Miller ruled that if the evacuation is completed before the distancing order expires then it will be canceled. She rejected the police demand of posting bail and also ruled that there was not reasonable cause to accuse the youth of disturbing a policeman in the line of duty because of a future misdemeanor they suspect he will commit. However she stated that there is evidence which indicates that he conspired to actively resist the evacuation and therefore the distancing order is necessary.
Honenu Attorney Nati Rom is considering filing an appeal on the decision.
Rom: “The court ruled that the clause of the future misdemeanor of disturbing a policeman in the line of duty does not exist on the books, and accepted our claims that the release conditions should not be strict because of the youth’s refusal to sign on them at the police station. Unfortunately the court agreed to distance the youth until after the evacuation, which in our opinion constitutes a violation of freedom of expression. We will consider filing an appeal with the district court on the decision.”
Also on Sunday a minor was interrogated under similar circumstances. At the police station he signed on an order distancing himself from the community of Ofra for 15 days.