Honenu report that in early November, 2017 a 120,000 NIS suit was filed against the Israeli Police at the Ramle Magistrate Court for false detention, interrogations, brutality and violation of the right to protest, by four youths, two of them minors, who were detained separately on their way to demonstrate opposite the residence of Major-General Roni Numa, the IDF Central District Commander, in the Ramat-Chen neighborhood of Ramat Gan, on June 19, 2017.

The youths arrived to protest the administrative restrictive orders which Maj.-Gen. Numa had issued to them. Administrative orders, such as administrative house arrest, which are issued without a trial, severely restrict personal freedom and border on violating the freedom of movement and the right to communicate. The recipient of an order is not informed of the reason for the order and the sole basis for the order is information kept confidential by the authority issuing the order. The orders which the four youths received prohibited them, among other restrictions, from staying in Yehuda and Shomron.

The youths are suing the State for stopping them and searching their possessions and bodies on the street without just cause, for false detentions which included prolonged periods of waiting in a small cell or on a bench all night as they were handcuffed and leg-cuffed, for strip searches without their consent – one of the youths was threatened with being forcibly strip searched if he refused to comply, police brutality – one of the youths was punched in the stomach while he was handcuffed in the police station, for withholding food and drink from them, and for a forced discussion with the Shin Bet.

The four youths were released from remand over a period of two days following their detention. The Jerusalem District Court, to which one of the complainants appealed his detention on the morning following the detention, leveled sharp criticism at the police and their manner of conduct. The statement of claim filed in the suit mentions: “All of the detentions apparently achieved the main part of their (illegal and unfair) purpose, to prevent the complainants from expressing legitimate objection opposite the Central District Commander’s residence, and in doing so a series of false detentions were carried out, which received a proper response from the courts, and also many civil wrongs, some of which constitute abuse and unreasonable violation of human dignity, particularly concerning minors.”

Each one of the complainants is demanding 30,000 NIS in compensation for the injustices mentioned in the statement of claim. Total compensation demanded is 120,000 NIS plus legal costs.

Honenu Attorney Menasheh Yado, who represented the complainants, stated that, “The State of Israel is not supposed to act like a banana republic, in which someone who protests opposite a senior military commander is detained, especially if there is absolutely no cause to detain him. That is what happened here, and as a result many civil wrongs were committed. The law was trampled, and the police cynically abused their powers.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)