Injured terrorist who sued victim is indicted

Please click here for a list of posts relating to cases in which Honenu provided legal counsel to victims of antisemitic attacks in Jerusalem.

Wednesday, February 1, 2023, 13:56 On Wednesday, February 1, the office of the State Attorney filed an indictment against Muhammed Qutub, one of the rioting terrorists who participated in a mob attack injuring three Jews driving near Lions’ Gate in Jerusalem during Operation Guardian of the Walls. The driver lost control of the car during the attack and injured two of the rioters. (See video clip below.) The indictment attributes to Qutub aggravated assault in an act of terror and racially motivated malicious vehicular vandalism. Additionally, the office of the State Attorney filed a request with the court to hold Qutub in remand until the end of proceedings against him.

One of the victims filed a complaint with the police against Qutub after his identity was discovered when he filed a civil suit against the driver of the car who ran into him. The police then arrested Qutub. Simultaneously, Honenu filed a statement of defense on behalf of the driver, which includes a video clip documenting the attack showing Qutub throwing rocks at the car, the driver attempting to escape, and the car hitting Qutub. Honenu also filed a counter-claim against Qutub for 800,000 NIS on behalf of the victims. The Jerusalem Magistrates Court rejected Qutub’s suit out of hand and obligated him to pay court fees.

Approximately one week ago, Qutub was released to house arrest by Judge Gordon but arrested again after he violated his house arrest order. Qutub was caught near the home of the terrorist who carried out the terror attack in Neve Ya’akov on Shabbat.

For the sentencing of two other terrorists in the case, please click here.

The indictment describes the mob attack: “On 10.5.2021, at 9:30 AM or approximately then, the [three] Jews drove toward the Western Wall to pray. When they neared Rockefeller Junction, their car became trapped in a traffic jam. Then, Arab youths who were standing nearby noticed that the passengers in the car were Jews and started to shout, ‘Settlers, settlers.’ Consequently, Arab youths started to gather and throw rocks at the car and also to kick the car. They had a nationalistic-ideological motive. One of the rocks shattered the back windshield of the car.

“The defendant [Qutub], whose motive was nationalistic, threw a rock at the car from close range, with the intent, together with [the mob], to hit the passengers and severely injure them. The [driver] began to drive backward in order to escape from the rioters, who continued to throw rocks and other objects at the car. They also sprayed pepper spray into the car, and one of the rioters opened the driver’s door. The driver was injured in the head by the rock-throwing. As a result of the injury, the rock barrage, and the pepper spray inside the car, the driver lost control of the car. The car veered to the right, into a low wall, and injured the defendant who was standing on the street, looking for more rocks to throw at the car. Afterward, the car became stuck on the barrier separating the sidewalk from the street.”

Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher, who is representing the victims, stated, “We are pleased with the indictment filed by the office of the State Attorney. The arrest of Qutub next to the home of the terrorist who carried out the attack on Shabbat on the day before the indictment was filed proves again that one must not be lenient or make any concessions with terrorists. We expect Qutub to be penalized to the full extent of the law. A clear message must be sent: The State of Israel will pursue terrorists and penalize them to the full extent of the law even one or two years after an attack.”

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