Criminal Court, Russian Compound, 25.02.2007, AMObservers: Neta A., Michaela R.Translated from Hebrew: Erez L. Case:/04Accused: Suhaib Abu-Arkub.Defense Attorney: Muhamed Halaila (public defender) .Prosecuting Attorney: Udi Ronen.Charge: Illegal residence within IsraelAccording to the protocol – the prosecutor, with the agreement of the defense attorney, requested a short extension because “we promised to check something out.”A date was set for the evidentiary portion of the trial: 20.05.2007, at 11:30. In the event that the evidentiary portion becomes unnecessary, the two sides will notify the court. The accused was warned that if he does not present himself in court for the proceedings, they will proceed in his absence.The human story behind the dry court record:Suhaib is a young man from Hebron who holds a Palestinian identity card. He is married to a Jerusalemite living in Beit Tzfafa, in a building right next to Beit Ha-Horiya. The couple has three small children. Their request for family unification has not been granted. The police caught him at his wife’s home where he was staying without authorization (according to him, following a tip which stemmed from a family disagreement). Along with Suhaib, the wife’s father was also accused of “hosting an illegal resident.” In the past, Suhaib had already been caught in Tel Aviv without authorization and was imprisoned for eight months. There is, therefore, a real chance that a suspended sentence that he was given then would be activated.Apparently this “something” that needed checking out has something to do with previous proceedings against him. It’s possible that the case is already lost. According to his defense attorney, Suhaib doesn’t really have a chance. He thinks that Suhaib would be found guilty and imprisoned again. In private, Suhaib complains that his attorney is not trying to help him and didn’t meet with him before the court proceedings. He questions the work of attorneys from the public defenders office.Since he does not work and has three small children to take care of, he is in debt and doesn’t have the money to pay another attorney. His wife says that if he does not prevail in the coming trial she is going to divorce him because she is tired of the constant anxiety and the lack of money. We saw a man, at the beginning of his life, whose entire future is crumbling upon him – and all we could do was watch.