Ofer - Incitement, Knives

Translation: Marganit W.

In Courtroom 2 (an RV like all the other ‘courtrooms’) the Military Juvenile Court conducts its hearings, so we are barred from reporting on these cases of minor detainees.

Whenever a name is called out and Courtroom 2 is mentioned our stomachs turn. The hearings are not long, and sometimes family members come out smiling because they had a chance to see their loved ones and talk to them for a brief moment.

Two weeks ago we encountered a father who came there with his 16-year old son to attend the hearing of his underage daughter. When we saw them come out smiling we wondered. It turned out that the detained sister had not seen her brother for a long time, and now that the son had obtained an identity card, the father decided to bring him along. It was a joyful encounter.

Some families are already well known to us. Parents we have met before whose 16-year old son has been in detention for two months. He is accused of throwing rocks, but the father claims that a video camera installed by the school (where he was arrested) shows him raising his hand to hitch a ride with a pickup truck. The parents hope that the trial will end soon and their son will be released and start school.

A mother tells us that her 14-year old son was arrested with two friends and beaten by the interrogators. She saw his hand bandaged when she attended his hearing.

Some of the minors come to the checkpoints because of problems at home. A 16-year old girl, whose mother was forcing her to marry, rebelled and showed up at the checkpoint with a knife. She preferred to go to jail.

These are difficult stories, and the Juvenile Court will probably continue to operate for a long time.

In the Remand Extension Court we attended the hearing of Tahrir Abu Saria. The judge was Major Etty Adar, and the defense Atty. Noubani.

Tahrir is a 36-year old divorcee. Her father brought her to the police after receiving a summons by phone. She has been detained since 24.7.17 and interrogated continuously. Unlike other female prisoners, she is held at Neve Tirtza Prison with criminal prisoners.

She is accused of incitement on Facebook. During the previous hearing the prosecutor said, “Based on the allegations, she is extremely dangerous, especially in view of the tense situation in the country”.

An indictment was presented today. Atty. Noubani asked to transfer her from Neve Tirtza to Sharon Prison. The judge considered the motion and decided on remand extension until 10.8.17.