One Shimon HaTzadik detainee released

Thursday, November 3, 2022, 12:03 One of the youths who was detained and interrogated for approximately a week and a half by the GSS has been released. Both youths were detained on suspicion of attacking and throwing rocks at Arabs when they came to assist Jewish residents of the Shimon HaTzadik neighborhood in Jerusalem to defend their homes from a rioting Arab mob. The youth was released on condition of several days of restrictions.

Both detainees were initially forbidden to meet with an attorney. Six days later, they met with Honenu Attorneys Adi Keidar, Nati Rom, and Avichai Hajbi. They told their attorneys that during the interrogations they were deprived of sleep, interrogated on Shabbat, not given food in a reasonable manner, and prevented from saying some of their prayers. Also, a female GSS interrogator harassed them and touched them several times during interrogations.

Honenu Attorney Adi Keidar stated, “The release of the detainee proves that what we claimed from the start, that his remand, in particular preventing him from meeting with an attorney, was unjustified, scandalous, and violated basic human rights. Today, it is completely obvious he was not connected in any way to a crime, not directly and not indirectly. We are considering our next steps in this context with regard to the GSS and the police.”

Honenu Attorney Nati Rom added, “I am pleased that the court released my client after being convinced that he does not pose any danger. Unfortunately, even though he was not suspected of serious crimes justifying draconian steps, he was held in solitary confinement, deprived of sleep, and underwent intensive GSS interrogations before he met with an attorney, which severely violated his rights.

“This is all the more serious in light of the fact that Arabs detained at the same incident after rioting and seriously injuring a Jewish youth, did not receive the same treatment and were not even interrogated at the police station. There is confusion in the security system, and I hope that the new government will put an end to it.”

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