The Beer Sheva Magistrate's Court ruled that the police will compensate Attorney Nati Rom of the Honenu organization with 30,000 shekels, as part of a settlement agreement in the lawsuit he filed against Netivot police officers.
The lawsuit, filed by Attorney Menashe Yado of Mehonu, stated that Attorney Rom was arrested by the police in violation of the law when he arrived at the police station to provide legal advice to protesters from the Kerem Shalom protest - who were brought to the station.
Rom was arrested after demanding that the detainees be granted their rights, and during his arrest he was even placed in a detention cell.
The lawsuit states: "The plaintiff, an attorney by profession, is extensively involved, both independently and as part of the Honenu organization, in providing legal advice to detainees. On March 5, 2024, during protests that took place at the Kerem Shalom crossing against the introduction of equipment to the Gazan enemy during a time of war, approximately seven minors were arrested by the Netivot police. The plaintiff was called on behalf of the Honenu organization to provide advice to the detainees at the station. The plaintiff coordinated his arrival at the station with an officer in advance, but when he arrived at the station, the journos did not recognize the aforementioned coordination and the plaintiff was forced to wait an entire hour to meet with the detainees.".
While waiting, he noticed one of the detainees, a 14-year-old minor, going out to the bathroom accompanied by a police officer. "The prosecutor approached the minor and told her to wait until she met with him and until then not to give a statement and not to talk to the police officers. In response to his aforementioned words, the police officer who was accompanying the detainee came out at the plaintiff, shouting 'shut up' and similar shouts, and demanded that he leave the station. The plaintiff tried to put down the flames and demanded that the police officers not shout, but to no avail.".
To prevent an escalation, Rom left the station, "However, the police officers did not cool down even after the plaintiff left the station, and after a few moments they followed him and demanded that he also leave the station yard and onto the street. The police officers informed the plaintiff that if he did not leave the station he would be detained, and when he asked what he would be detained for, he was told that it was for disobeying a police officer.".
The lawsuit continued: "The police left the plaintiff, and after he was taken out of the station, he was returned to it, this time in the illegal status that had been assigned to him as a detainee. When the plaintiff entered the station, the police demanded that he hand over his phone to them. The plaintiff asked why he was required to give the police the phone, and the police replied that the plaintiff was detained. The plaintiff clarified that he had no authority to take a phone from a detainee, and in response, the police told the plaintiff that they would arrest him, and they did so.".
Attorney Yado noted in the lawsuit that in addition to the unlawful arrest, the police locked Attorney Rom in a detention cell and even searched him, taking money he had in his possession.
As mentioned, the court has now decided that the police must compensate Rom as part of a settlement agreement.
Attorney Nati Rom welcomed the decision: "We must not tolerate the violation of basic human rights by the Israel Police. I am glad that in this case the state understood the mistake and spared a tedious court process. Civil rights are not permissible. We will not be deterred and will continue to protect human rights in general and the rights of minors in particular.".
Attorney Menashe Yado: "I hope that such incidents will not happen again.".
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