Shin Bet failure: After two weeks of interrogations - suspect released with 'price tag'"

May 27, 2014   

Another case of investigation into 'price tag' activity ends with release: After more than two weeks, during which an 18-year-old young man was held in detention under difficult conditions, the court today (Tuesday) ordered his release.

The young man, who lives in a settlement in the Nahal Sorek area, was released to house arrest until Sunday, after police investigators requested his release on conditions.

The Honenu organization notes that from the moment of the young man's arrest until today, Shin Bet and police investigators have not agreed to present the specific suspicions attributed to him to his lawyer. For 10 days, the detainee was prohibited from meeting with an attorney, a highly unusual step - reserved for terrorists.

After he was allowed to meet with Attorney Keidar, it became clear that he had been severely abused by Shin Bet interrogators, who interrogated him for 21 hours every day, including on Shabbat. Additionally, Attorney Keidar said, during one interrogation, a Shin Bet interrogator choked the young man, and during another interrogation, he fainted after an interrogator screamed in his ear while he was dozing, due to the harsh physical conditions.

Yesterday, the young man's detention was shortened, following an appeal filed by his attorney to the Lod District Court.

The detainee's release joins the release of another minor who was detained by the Shin Bet for over a week, and was forbidden from meeting with an attorney. Only after five days was he told what the specific incident was that he was suspected of, and the detainee immediately provided an alibi, which was examined - and led to his release.

""This is a crushing defeat for the Shin Bet's Jewish department," says attorney Adi Kedar, who represents the detainee on behalf of the Honenu organization, in response to the release. "After a long period, some of it under a ban on meeting, the second detainee who was in the Shin Bet facility and was severely abused during his interrogations was also released. The two suspects were released without an indictment being filed against them, thus collapsing all the statements given by the investigators, which apparently presented a distorted picture of the court, which has mistakenly agreed time and again to extend the detention.".

Meanwhile, two Yitzhar residents were arrested last night on suspicion of involvement in the 'Price Tag' events. The two were taken to a Shin Bet facility and were forbidden from meeting with an attorney. Attorney Adi Kedar of the Honenu organization filed an urgent appeal against their arrest, and later today they will be brought to a hearing on their case.

Shin Bet investigators said that the warrant for one of them will be lifted in the coming hours.

Additionally, a hearing was held today (Tuesday) on an appeal filed by Attorney Yossi Lin on behalf of Honenu to the Lod District Court regarding the continued detention of a young resident of Samaria by the Shin Bet.

The District Court dismissed the appeal.

In the suspect's case, there is an order prohibiting him from meeting with an attorney until tomorrow (Wednesday) night, and his lawyer has not yet been informed of what he is suspected of.