Petah Tikva - Holding and trading of combat materiel, Remand Extension

Translation: Jonathan M.

Judge: Itai Regev

Defense: Attorneys Aabed and Mahajna

Investigator: Sergeant-major Aataf Awida

There were 11 hearings, 5 of which for detainees barred from meeting with a lawyer.

I was not able to register all the hearings.

Muhammad Maher Muhammad Sualma, id: 850386202

The investigator and attorney Aabed agreed on remand in custody for 18 days.

Kis Tisir Muhammad Samara,id: 914589262

The prosecution asks for remand in custody for 18 days.

Attorney Aabed agrees to remand in custody, but leaves it up to the court's decision, since it is not a complicated case.

The investigator agrees to 12 days.

Judge's ruling: remand in custody for 12 days.

There is a restricting order on publishing the next case dealing with a detainee barred from meeting a lawyer.

The hearing takes long, and meanwhile a long line of detainees forms outside. Since they are not allowed to be together in the same room, they are scattered around in different parts of the court house. They are handcuffed, their legs are chained, and on their eyes they wear dark glasses. Still a guard orders one of the detainees to lower his gaze.

Barred - Bader Adnan Muhammad Abu Masud, id: 853398766,  

from Luban Alsharkya.

The investigator asks for a remand in custody of 11 days.

Attorney Mahajna: does the suspect tie himself to the allegations?

Investigator: He does, and at this very  moment he is giving his testimony at the police station.

Attorney Mahajna: are there informers in this case?

Investigator: there are.

Attorney Mahajna: has the suspect been confronted with the informers?

Investigator: refers to the confidential file.

The defense attorney asks to reduce the detention period, since the suspect has already admitted to some of the charges.

Verdict: Remand in custody for 11 days (as requested).

Barred - Wassim Abed Al-Karim Fatoh Haja, id: 852224708,   from Nablus

Verdict: remand in custody for 11 days (as requested).

Jibril Mahmud  Hassan Kaabi, id: 907538805, from Nablus

Verdict: remand in custody for 11 days (as requested).

Three detainees are brought in. Each is seated in a separate row.

The 3 of them are involved in the same case.

Sharida Hamed Yusuf Dywakat, id: 941300725, from Beita.

The detainee has a medical problem with his hand, known to the authorities. He is under medical supervision.

The investigator asks for remand in custody for 18 days. He states that the large number of people involved in the case will require several time consuming actions.

Attorney (Mahajna): who decided on 18 days?

Investigator: I did.

Attorney: by what authority?

Investigator: I am the person in charge of the police investigation.

Attorney: Do you decide on each case individually, or to you group them together?

Investigator: Each case is examined separately. As a matter of fact, we had a case today, in which attorney Aabed and myself decided on 12 days.

Attorney: But the request form states 18 days. Only after discussions did you agree on 12 days.

Investigator: True. But with this distinguished attorney (referring to Mahajna), we can't even agree on one day.

At this stage the investigator requests that the two other related suspects be removed from court.

Attorney: Are you short of personnel?

Investigator: Yes. The staff I have cannot deal with all the cases.

Attorney: Have you complained to your superiors?

Investigator: This is irrelevant to our case.

Later on the investigator notifies the judge of the fact, that his unit is going on a joint trip and will be away until the following Thursday and asks that this fact be taken into consideration regarding the number of days of remand in custody.

Attorney Mahajna: I object to remand in custody for 18 days. The investigation is already over. All they have to do is sum it up and pass the file to the military prosecution. The court has to find a balance between the needs of the detainee and those of the investigating unit going on a trip. This is ridiculous. No one in a criminal court in Israel would have even dared make such a ridiculous request.

The judge agrees that the trip is irrelevant to the case, but nevertheless sees no reason to shorten the requested amount of days.

Judge's ruling: remand in custody for 18 days.

Salach Ibrahim Muhammad Samara, id: 850174525, from Azamut.

This is the second detainee in the same case.

The investigator requests 18 days

Both sides reach an agreement for 12 days.

Ruling: 12 days.

Muhammad Samir Muhammad Hashash, id: 851525428,  from Balata refugee camp. This is the third detainee in the case.

The investigator requests 18 days. He is willing to go down to 15.

The defense attorney does not accept the offer. He wants more days reduced. "We are only talking about possession of combat material and membership in a hostile organization."

Investigator: What do you want? I've already agreed to reduce 6 days. You agreed before. Do you think this is some sort of market?

Later on the investigator says that he will settle for 15 days (even though he had previously agreed to 12 days).

Ruling: 13 days. Orders that a doctor see the detainee, due to breathing problems occurring at night.

Barred - Ayman, Achsan Razek Adili, id: 850449224, from Beita

Has been detained for 21 days.

Ruling: remand in custody for 11 days.