“Migrash Ha’Rusim”, Jerusalem 19/6/06Observers: Tova S., Neta E.Translation: Ilene M.The judge’s delay enabled us to sit with the lawyers and with the court recorder and translator. Both of them are soldiers in their regular army service, in a unit of the military court, a lawyer is not allowed to review a detainee’s file until the case is presented, even if the detainee is not prevented from seeing a lawyer. The prison doctor is a general doctor who cannot address the special needs of detainees who are sick or have undergone an operation.Judge: First Sergeant Menashe Vachnish (reserves)The computer was not working and the court recorder wrote everything out by hand.The first case concerned the detention of Dr. Haroun Aziz Ka’aed, 42 years old from Ramallah, the office manager of the Palestinian prime minister. The detainee has been in the process of being investigated since 18.5.06 He is represented by the lawyer Isma’il El Tawil from Jerusalem.Because the detainee is prevented from seeing a lawyer, his lawyer had to present his case before the judge and police representative without the detainee being present.The charge: membership and activity in the Hamas. “Every member of the Hamas movement presents a threat to the State of Israel and a danger to the security of the state .That is the reason for his detention.” His lawyer points out that if that is the case, then the entire government of the Palestinian Authority, elected by law, should be arrested. The lawyer tries in vain to understand why his client was arrested but receives no answer but the aforementioned statement. We understand that there is also an issue of money transfer. The police representative refuses to comment on this issue. He requested a 20 day extension of detention; the judge decreed 15 days.After this there were other extensions of detention, given almost automatically. The charges were primarily suspicion of membership in a hostile organization, possession of weapons and firearms, and commerce in firearms.There was also a case of a policeman in the Palestinian Authority who was already arrested by the PA and served time for possession of firearms, and was now arrested by Israel and charged with the same crime.Another case: 22 days earlier, a judge gave a detainee a final extension of detention before charges were brought up against him. Now the police are requesting an additional extension. Let us say that there is never a “last time”. In this case the detainee was shot and wounded (while being detained) and hospitalized for an operation. After this, he was transferred to detention. It is not clear if he is receiving suitable medical care after his operation.An addition extension of detention was given to a detainee who, during all of the earlier extension, was never questioned even once. And once again, the police promise that it is their last request for extension. It is clear that all of these extensions serve as attempts to put pressure on the detainees and not as a way of completing the investigation.The judges serve solely as “rubber stamps”.The lawyers: Ma’amon El Hashin who is representing 12 detainees (some of them prevented from seeing a lawyer and some of them not), and Attorney Elian Ibrahim.We spoke to the judge about the practice of bringing in the detainees with their eyes blindfolded, after a human rights lawyer told us that it is illegal. The judge had not heard of this, and said that the lawyers could raise the issue with him. In his opinion, it is done in order to prevent eye contact between the detainees, for their security. And, of course, for the security of the state of Israel!..