Russian Compound, Jerusalem - Remand Extension, Minors

Share:
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Email
Observers: 
Roni Hammermann, Tova Szeintuch (reporting)
Jun-22-2009
|
Morning

Translation: Diana Rubanenko

Russian Compound

The Judge: Hanan Rubinstein

Police investigator: Adv. Jalal Awida

Attorneys: Fahmi Shkirat, Mamoun Hashim, Shalid Fuaz

The cases of four detaineesinfo-icon will be heard today. One is prohibited from meeting his attorney, and one is a minor.

First detainee: The police investigator, Atty. Ouda, is requesting in the name of the police another fifteen days to interrogate the detainee, who was arrested on 7.6.09, on suspicion of activity in a hostile organization - Hamas. Since he was detained, he has given a police statement in which he denies all the suspicions against him.

Most of the information that Atty. Shkirat is seeking appears in the confidential file, so that he hasn't received any information.

For example - what were the results of the polygraph tests? Is there incriminating evidence against him? Was he interrogated for his links with another detainee in his family? His father has been in jail since 1995. The attorney inquired whether the detainee was cooperative during interrogation, and the answer was "relatively".

The detainee asks permission to speak: "I didn't do anything. I see my father in jail and learned my lesson from him. I want to protect my family".

The judge's ruling: After examining all the material shown to me today and comparing it with the reports from previous interrogations, I find it appropriate to extend the suspect's remand in custody by 8 additional days.

In the second case, the police prosecutor and defence attorney agree on an extension of remand in custody of 9 days.

The third case is that of a minor (born on 5.8.91) - represented by Attorney  Fahmi Shkirat. The police requests 11 additional days.

Atty. Shkirat talks to the minor in a not very intimate manner, so that all Arabic-speakers in the court (including the investigator) can overhear what is being said.

From the attorney's questions we learn that the minor was arrested  on 17.6.09. He lives in Arora, in the Ramallah area. The suspect has not given a police statement and does not link himself to the acts attributed to him; he denies all alleged suspicions against him.

He is suspected of "activity against security in the region".

When asked whether there is incriminating evidence against him, the police investigator replies "among others, yes".

The judge's ruling: the police requests another 11 days for interrogation. The minor is being interrogated for committing acts against security in the region. During his detention, incriminating items for his activity in a hostile organization were found in his home.

The detainee is being held the department for minors and is being supervised to prevent suicide attempts (?). He has been checked by a psychiatrist. The judge agrees that since this is the case of a minor, he will accept the police's request only partially, and extends the detainee's remand in custody for 8 days.

The final case is of a person barred from meeting with an attorney. He is represented by Atty. Fahmi Shkirat.

We were present at all stages of the hearing (to the surprise of Judge Rubinstein).

Att. Shkirat asks questions, and the replies of the police investigator Awida are all the same: the investigation is well underway, there is no possibility to answer questions whose answers might harm the investigative process.  Everything is in the judge's hands - in the confidential report.

The investigator requesta another 15 days, and the judge agrees to 11 ("since it's a case of a person prohibited from meeting with his attorney").

Judge Rubinstein asks the detainee if he has any complaints about the conditions he is held in, and the detainee replies that everything is fine.