In the Jerusalem court, police officer Ido Katzir was convicted on Tuesday, 27 Tammuz for beating up Chareidi demonstrators, among other things, after admitting to the charges against him.

As noted, Katzir was documented severely beating up one of the chareidi demonstrators, which promoted the filing of an indictment against him and eventually led to his conviction.

In the indictment filed against him by the State Attorney’s Office, in one instance, the officer beat a 17-year-old during a demonstration, and in another demonstration that took place months later, the officer kicked several people who participated in the demonstration.

Kikar Shabbos News adds it has learned that next week, a civil suit filed by attorney Itamar Ben-Givir on behalf of the demonstrators against Katzir will be heard – aside from the pending criminal case.

The indictment against the officer reads: “On January 17, 2017, at or around 7:30PM, a demonstration was held at Jerusalem’s Kikar Shabbos. The protest included persons belonging to the chareidi tzibur, and during the event, traffic lanes were blocked.

“At that time and date, Alexander Shapira, 18, (hereinafter: “the complainant”) passed by and heard one of the demonstrators shout at an Ethiopian police officer who was in the place ‘N***** Go Home.’ The defendant, who believed that the complainant was the one who shouted, grabbed the complainant and led him to a side location, where the defendant hit his left hand with the complainant’s face and as a result the hat fell from the complainant’s head. The complainant lowered his glasses because he feared they would break, and then the defendant struck the complainant’s face again, shouting at him, ‘Understand?!'”

The second incident took place five months ago at a demonstration at the Malchei Yisrael Junction. According to the indictment, “a defendant who was in the area as part of his job with other police dispersed the demonstrators and force was required in the process.” During the demonstration, the demonstrators actively resisted the police orders and refused to leave the area. In addition, stones, planks and bottles were hurled at police, during which the defendant was injured.”

“During the protest,” the indictment states, “the defendant tried to kick at the upper body of a demonstrator, whose identity is not known to the accuser, while the latter lay on the road and was dragged by policemen towards a traffic island.”

The defendant also kicked the back of another demonstrator, whose identity is unknown to the accused, while the latter was lying on the road while a number of policemen tried removing him from the area.”

Attorney Itamar Ben-Givir is quoted telling Kikar Shabbos News after the conviction: “I am satisfied that as a result of our complaint, the PID began to investigate and filed an indictment against the officer. We are seeking monetary compensation. Every office and policemen must know it is prohibited to harm chareidim just because they are chareidim, and any such harm will be met by complaints, demands, etc. The blood of the chareidim will not be abandoned.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)