Ariel detainee has not yet met with Honenu Attorney Keidar

Friday, June 24, 2022, 16:08 On Tuesday, June 21, an Ariel resident and a group of youths were walking near the back gate of Ariel when they were attacked by dozens of Arabs with axes and other weapons. The following day, the Ariel resident went to the Ariel Police Station to file a complaint against the assailants and give testimony about the incident. To his shock, instead of taking his testimony, the police detained him and prevented him from meeting with Honenu Attorney Adi Keidar, who is representing him.

Yesterday (Thursday), the GSS extended the order prohibiting the Ariel detainee from meeting with an attorney until next Monday. In light of the extension, Honenu Attorney appealed to the Supreme Court. At a Supreme Court hearing today (Friday) Justice Khaled Kabub recommended that the appeal be canceled and that the GSS obligate themselves not to extend the order beyond Monday.

Honenu Attorney Adi Keidar stated after the hearing: “Today a hearing was held at the Supreme Court on the continuation of the order preventing [the Ariel detainee] from meeting with an attorney. During the hearing, the Supreme Court recommended to the GSS representatives that they not extend the order beyond the date on which it is scheduled to end.”

Dozens of Knesset members signed a letter to Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai and Ronen Bar, the head of the GSS, demanding that the Ariel resident who was detained after defending a group of attacked children be allowed to meet with his attorney. Part of the letter reads as follows: “At this time, a Jew is detained and prevented from meeting with an attorney. This is at a time that none of the rioters who attacked Jews with clubs and rocks have been detained. Preventing [a detainee] from meeting with an attorney violates a fundamental legal right. We demand that he be allowed to meet with his attorney immediately.”

This letter follows sharp criticism by members of Knesset of the police for not allowing the detainee to meet with his attorney and be properly represented. On Wednesday, MK Moshe Arbel (Shas) took advantage of his right to speak before the Knesset plenum and asked Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Public Security Minister Omer Bar-Lev why the detainee was forbidden to meet with his attorney. Likewise, the Knesset Land of Israel Lobby addressed the matter and said, “It is inconceivable that not one of the Arabs who participated in the attack has been detained, and the sole detainee is a Jew who apparently was forced to defend attacked children, and now he is even prevented from meeting with an attorney.”

As stated in a complaint filed on Thursday by Honenu Attorney Adi Keidar, the detained Ariel resident underwent extremely harsh GSS interrogations. He was interrogated four times in less than 24 hours, deprived of sleep, and refused medical treatment. The intensive interrogations lasted for hours, including all night.

The Ariel resident is in his 40s, has three children, aged 6, 5, and 3, served in the Navy, and does not have a criminal record.On Wednesday, he went to the Ariel Police Station to file a complaint against the assailants and give testimony about the incident. The Ariel resident and a group of youths were examining the area near Ariel for suitable locations for new communities as part of a larger process that is currently ongoing. As the group was walking near the eastern gate of Ariel, dozens of rioting Arabs jumped on them and tried to injure them. As a result, one of the Arab rioters was killed. To the shock of the Ariel resident, instead of taking his testimony, the police detained him and prevented him from meeting with Honenu Attorney Adi Keidar, who is representing him.

On Saturday night, after Shabbat, a demonstration is scheduled to take place opposite the Ariel Police Station under the banner, “Stop the Madness!” in protest of the continued remand of the Ariel detainee. Announcements of the demonstration read: “Stop the Madness! Dozens of Jewish children and an adult were attacked by dozens of terrorists armed with axes, clubs, and metal bars. The result: Jews are undergoing torture in GSS dungeons, without meeting an attorney!? Have we gone crazy? ‘They helped everyone his neighbor, and everyone said to his brother: ‘Have strength.’ [Isaiah 41:6] This Saturday night, Parshat Korah, 22:00, opposite the Ariel Police. Come all!” (See similar poster above.)

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