Russian Compound, Jerusalem - Remand Extension

Translation: Diana Rubanenko

Russian Compound

As usual in the past few weeks, we left the Russian Compound frustrated. Today we arrived as usual at the time scheduled for remand extension hearings to begin, but when we entered the room where the detainees were, the investigator (Afif Mahmoud), the judge (Yair Alroi) and the defence attorneys (Judd Kadmani and Firas Sabbah) were not there. There was no list of detainees, and the police investigator wrote by hand the names of the two detainees whose cases were to be heard.

There was no stenographer or interpreter. The judge wrote his decision by hand. He did not read all of it, just specified that the detainee has already been under investigation for a month, and that the police are requesting another 15 days, and that he, the judge, has decided that such a long period is unreasonable, and that he extended it by another 8 days only.

The judge spoke to the investigator and again pointed out that another 15 days were unreasonable; he hinted that there are no obvious reasons for such a long remand extension after month of investigation.

We do not know what the detainee is accused of, nor where he is from. He looked young, but not a minor.

We entered the courtroom after the investigations were completed, and only heard the judge's decision.

The hearing of the first case ended in an agreement.