Attorney Ofir Steiner of Mhonenu appealed to the police demanding that they arrest and interrogate an Arab bus driver from the 'Superbus' company, who punched a Jewish driver in Jerusalem earlier this week.
The bus driver attacked another Jew who accused him of blocking his path. During the violent attack, the Jew's glasses were broken. The driver even continued to choke the Jew, who finally escaped with great difficulty and rushed to file a complaint at the police station.
However, when he arrived there, he discovered to his astonishment that he was the suspect in the attack. The Jew was placed in a holding cell for 9 hours, without even being asked his version of events.
In his letter, Attorney Steiner describes how the Jew was brutally attacked: "On December 31, 2023, my client, the victim, was driving his car in the Ramot neighborhood of Jerusalem. When he reached a narrow two-lane road, a Superbus bus arrived from the opposite direction. The bus was driven by the attacker, a minority. Since the road was too narrow for the vehicle and the bus to pass at the same time, the victim tried to signal the attacker to reverse. But the attacker signaled him to go into a nearby parking lot.
"The victim did not insist, and drove backwards, while riding on two wheels on the sidewalk, in order to allow the bus to pass. The attacker continued driving and indeed managed to pass, but he left the bus in such a way that it partially blocked the victim's vehicle from continuing on its way. He braked the bus, opened the window and began cursing the victim.
"He made it clear to the victim that he would not allow him to pass, as punishment for not doing as he was told and not entering the parking lot. The victim remained in his vehicle, hoping that the attacker would move and allow him and the other vehicles to continue on their way. But he remained in his place. Without a word, a loud exchange of words began between the victim and the attacker. This was until the attacker got off the bus and quickly approached the victim.
"The victim, who did not want a physical confrontation, but was frightened by his approach, also got out of his vehicle. The attacker came within touching distance of the victim and pushed him back forcefully. The victim, who realized that the attacker was trying to physically harm him, tried to move away and push the attacker's hands away, but to no avail. The attacker managed to punch him in the face, which caused the victim's glasses to fall to the ground and break. Then, the attacker grabbed the victim by the neck and began to choke him, until the victim managed to escape his grip and get away."
After the attack, the Jew rushed to the nearest police station to file a complaint about the attack, but there he discovered that the Arab had preceded him and claimed to be the attacker. The Jew was locked in a holding cell for 9 hours, during which he was not given the opportunity to give his version of the incident.
"When the victim arrived at the police station, immediately upon entering he was told that he was being detained. The victim asked several times why he was being detained, but was not answered. After a short time, he was met by a police officer who told him that he was under arrest, and they led him to a detention cell. Even then, the victim asked repeatedly about what suspicions he was being detained, but was not answered. The victim was offered the opportunity to speak with an attorney, but since he was certain of his right, he waived this right. He asked again if they could explain to him why he was being detained, and was not answered.
"He was placed in the detention cell around 1:00 PM and remained there until around 10:30 PM, without any answers to his questions regarding the reason he was being held, or any explanation that could be expected of him."
"This is a man without any legal education, who felt scared and did not know how many hours, or even days, the police could hold him in the detention cell. If that were not enough, he was also threatened and beaten by another detainee who was put in the same cell, until the police station transferred him to another cell. Only when he was taken for questioning, late at night as mentioned, was his version heard for the first time. Only then did the investigators realize that the victim could have been arrested without any reason, and that the attacker was the one who acted violently and was roaming free. Immediately after the questioning, the victim was released."
In his letter, Attorney Steiner addresses the police, demanding that they arrest the Arab attacker: "This is a violent attack on the part of the attacker, and an attempt by the attacker to create a false representation that will turn the tables. Therefore, the attacker must be arrested and brought in for questioning as soon as possible. In addition to the harm inflicted on the attacker, one must consider the treatment that the victim, an ordinary citizen, received from the Israel Police when he asked to file a complaint and ultimately found himself in a detention cell, without receiving any explanation regarding the suspicions against him. There, he remained imprisoned for long hours, until his version of events was heard for the first time."
Attorney Steiner: "This is a case of a citizen who finds himself violently attacked on a city street, and when he arrives at the police station instead of being offered a helping hand, he finds himself in a detention cell, with no one listening to him or trying to get to the root of the matter for long hours. The police must correct the wrongdoing - arrest the culprit, and examine their conduct towards the citizen."
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