Defense Minister Yoav Galant extends detentions of two Jews of being involved in an incident in Huwara, despite the court ordering their release.

 

Adi Keidar

We spoke with Atty. Adi Keidar from the Honenu legal advocacy group, who is representing the detainees, tells Israel National News that the incident is passing under the radar since "the media is completely enlisted to the (anti-judicial reform) protests."

Last week, after a Palestinian Arab murdered two young Jewish brothers in the Huwara, Jews descended on the town to protest the murder. During the ensuing confrontation, several vehicles and structures were set alight, and participants on both sides were injured.

Keidar states: "We received administrative orders for two young friends, one a minor, who allegedly where involved in the Huwara incidents, and there isn't a bit of evidence that can bring them to a criminal trial, the Defense Minister, based on info which we claim is false and biased, decided to administratively detain them for four months. Punishment and detention without trial and without any ability to defend themselves. That's what's happening with this unfortunate situation.s:

Regarding the claim that the information on which the arrest was based was false, Keidar says, "We know that our clients, even if there's proof that they were at the scene, there were hundreds of people there, and they were not connected to the severe events that they are being accused of. The one that needs to answer is the Shin-Bet, which admits that it doesn't have real concrete and criminal evidence but that the things are based on things said by those who collaborate with the Shin-Bet. These can be Huwara residents or others, but it's clear that the credibility of the info is close to nonexistent. If the info was public, they could look into it and see that it's false, or they would put them on criminal trial, and we could defend them. The current situation is both unbearable and not just under the circumstances. To give the Americans a treat at the expense of the detainees."

According to Keidar, at best, the detainees could have been sent to house arrest as a mitigated punishment, but the decision to send them to detention at a detention center, despite the court's decision to release them. "Their conditions are bad, they're cut off, and so on, its a complex and unnecessary situation," says Keidar, who adds that the district court, where a discussion was held on Sunday regarding the detainees, is authorized to approve the order and is set to make a decision on it on Monday.

"We questioned the Shin-Bet's expert to get information out of him, we expressed our opinion, and we hope the court will listen and rule that the order is unjust and cancel it or shorten it," concludes Keidar.