Ofer - Assault of soldier/policeman, Maltreatment

Translation: Marganit W.

Arij Hushia has been in detention since 27.12.17. She is charged, among other violations, with attempted homicide with a hairpin!

Summation hearing before sentencing.

Judge: Lieut. Col. Sebastian Osovsky.

The prosecutor reiterated that Arij is charged with “ attempted homicide,” “assaulting a soldier” and “impersonation”. Referring to Arij’s police statements, she maintained that Arij left home with money in her pocket, planning to go to Jerusalem, buy a knife and attack soldiers.

The defense, Atty. Fadi Qawasme, stated that the prosecution had not yet given him the transcript of the interrogation (requested several weeks earlier).

The judge thought the records of the interrogation were relevant and ordered the prosecution to hand them over by 6.9.18.

The defense had many reservations about the investigation - for example: the investigators did not bother to check if Arij’s sister (whom she was accompanying) indeed had an appointment to St. John Eye Clinic in East Jerusalem. (She did). During the stripping she had to undergo and which caused her angry outbursts, Arij said that her brother was a “Shahid” [martyr] who had carried out a terrorist act at Damascus gate where he had killed three people. This was pure fiction, but the investigators did not try to verify this information.

It was clear from the interrogation, the attorney maintained, that the investigator only wanted to make the accused say certain things, and then stop the interrogation.

The defense moved to acquit Arij, or conversely, to charge her with illegal entry. As usual in summation hearings, it all took a long time. Now the judge has to examine the material and hand down a decision.

Hearing in the case of Susan Awiwi

Judge: Sebastian Osovsky.

Defense: Atty. Akram Samara.

Awiwi is a member of the Hebron municipal board. She has been in detention for two months. She was interrogated at the Shabak [GSS] facility in Ashkelon, and after three weeks, she was transferred to Sharon Prison.

Following her arrest, several other Hebron women were arrested. They too were interrogated for several weeks at the Shabak facility, then transferred to Sharon Prison

The indictment was read and given to the detainee, and thus her trial began.

The next hearing was set for 10.10.18.

The writer and journalist Lama Alkhatar was brought in front of Judge Benny Navon for remand extension.

Lama, also from Hebron, was interrogated for a month in Ashkelon. There were many reports on social media about the conditions of her interrogation – up to 20 hours long while she was tied to a chair - and other details supplied by Atty. Firas Sabah.

It is worth noting, that despite these harsh interrogation methods– torture, you might say – she did not admit anything.

Lama’s husband and daughter were present in court. This is their first meeting since she was kidnapped from her home. Her husband asked if there is any point asking for a permit to bring their two-year old son to the next hearing, so Lama could see him. Of course, the answer is no.

The next hearing was set for 5.9.18.