Russian Compound, Jerusalem - Holding and trading of combat materiel, Danger to Regional Security

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Observers: 
Roni Hammermann, Tova Szeintuch (reporting)
Nov-16-2015
|
Morning

Translation: Marganit W.

 

Judge: Menahem Lieberman

Police Investigator: Ziyad Akatish

Defense: Atty. Farah Bidassi

 

The defense attorneys are on a three-day strike (Sunday-Tuesday). Bidassi decided to come to court today to represent a detainee who has a slim chance of being released. She does not go to Ofer, though.

 

A’ish Mahmoud A’ish Salame – ID 851449744  

Arrested  on Nov. 9

Muaz Muhammad Abed Abed Alkard – ID 946051331 

Arrested on Nov. 15.

 

The Remand Extension Court is very small but it contains many sad stories. Today the drama was particularly sad. The judge was late, and so were Nahshon Unit officers [who transport the detaineesinfo-icon], and the judge bawled them out. The detainees were also late, obviously. We waited in silence and the atmosphere in the room was oppressive. Many participants did not show up: the attorneys were on strike.

The trial, however, was conducted as usual. The first detainee was brought in, shackled and handcuffed. The handcuffs were removed.

He sits alone on the bench. Since there are no attorneys present, nobody exchanges a word with him, nobody asks how he is doing or offers to pass a message on his behalf. He is visibly anguished.

 

Justice Lieberman wastes no time. While waiting for Nahshon officers to bring in the detainee, he has formulated his decision. Then he turns to the detainee, “Your defense is not here. The police request an extension. Do you have anything to say?” (The detainee’s face registers complete incomprehension). Neither the first nor the second detainee answer this question.

The investigator says that both are dangerous: they endanger security in the region.

There is some relief: The first detainee gets 8 days extension instead of the requested 11, and the second gets 11 days instead of 15. It’s as if the attorneys were actually there! The only difference is that today the detainees are by themselves without representation. We have witnessed the same scene many times: today it was much more depressing.

 

Muaid Abd-el-Karim Muhammad Mahlouf – ID 853004497

Defense: Atty. Farah Bidassi

 

The detainee came from Beersheva. He is a resident of Ramallah, suspected of possession of arms and of military activity.

This is his second remand extension.

From the defense’s questions we gather that the investigators claim that weapons were found in the detainee’s house. They argue that he is the owner of the weapons, even though there are other people living in that house.

He has been in detention 12 days.

The investigators sent the weapon and his DNA to a lab to see if there is a match, but the material reached the lab only on Nov. 11, and the test takes 4-7 days, hence the police requests an 8-day extension.

All other allegations against the detainee have been disproved.

He got a 4-day extension.

Try to find the difference – in remand extensions – between a hearing where an attorney fights tooth and nail for a client and one without an attorney.