On the afternoon of Sunday, 17 Adar, a 15-year-old Bat Ayin resident was detained on suspicion of involvement with clashes in Bat Ayin between residents and policemen and soldiers the same morning that two youths, both residents of Bat Ayin, were detained.

During interrogation the youth detained in the afternoon denied having any involvement with the incident. His father came to the police station and gave testimony stating that his son was with him at home, working together on renovating their house, at the time of the incident.

Despite the fact that the youth does not have a criminal record and does have an alibi, the police decided to keep him in remand overnight. Honenu attorney Adi Kedar attempted to file an urgent appeal demanding that the youth be brought to court the same night, however five minutes after a representative of Honenu informed the deputy court administrator that they intended to file an appeal, the administrator relayed the decision made by the Jerusalem Magistrate Court President, Judge Shulamit Dotan, before Honenu was able to file the appeal with the court. Honenu leveled harsh criticism at the conduct of Judge Shulamit Dotan, who refused to examine the appeal filed by Honenu attorney Adi Kedar on behalf of the 15-year-old detainee being held in remand, resulting is his remaining in remand overnight.

In a very brief decision Judge Dotan ruled that the police would have until 23:00 the same day to present a response and that if they decided in the morning not to release the youth, he would be brought to court.

Honenu harshly criticized Judge Dotan’s conduct and intends to file an appeal with the Jerusalem District Court: “It cannot be that only because of a judge’s administrative convenience will a 15 year old youth without a criminal record and with an alibi, remain in remand.”

On the afternoon of Sunday, 17 Adar one of the youths detained in the morning in Bat Ayin was released to house arrest. The other youth detained with him will be brought to a court deliberation the following morning. The two youths were detained in a police raid by the Department of Nationalist Crime in the Central Unit of the Yehuda and Shomron Police in Bat Ayin, where both of them live. They are suspected of involvement with an incident in which Arabs were assaulted in the area of their community. Approximately 20 residents blocked the exit of the police and at that time clashes developed.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)