Russian Compound, Jerusalem - Activity against security in the region, Barred (from meeting with attorney)

Translation: Marganit W.

Judge: Lieut. Col. Menahem Lieberman

Police Investigator: Jad Aktish

Defense: Firas Sabah, Maamoun Heshim, Judd Kadmani, Bilal Namana

There are five cases in the docket, four of detainees barred from seeing counsel.

Abdullah Muhammad Odeh Abed Alrahman – ID 86048485

Bilal Sami Ahmad Amatir – ID 860089515

Both are suspected of activity harming security in the region.

Both were arrested on 13.7.17.

The investigators request 12 additional days to complete the investigation. There is progress in the investigation: the two partially admit their guilt, but both are barred from meeting with their attorneys. We witnessed how the defense  (who has not yet met his client) gingerly asked for explanations.

Omar Abed Algalil Algaber Alabed – ID 404300071

He was arrested on 21.7.17.

The investigator asks for 15 more days. The detainee is barred from seeing an attorney. He is suspected of murder.

Atty. Firas Sabah opens with a summation: he asks the court to investigate the detainee’s injury. He requests that after examining the file, the judge will reduce the days of the remand.

Muneer Abed Algalil Abed Algabar Alabed – ID 402609945

He was arrested on 22.7.17.

The investigators request 11 more days.

The man is suspected of activity endangering security in the region.

In reply to the defense, the investigator says that at this stage he cannot elaborate on the suspicion and refers the defense to the secret file.

The suspect has been interrogated by the Shabak [GSS] three times and he denies the allegations. The defense asks: Did they verify his statement: is it established that he is not connected to the planning and execution of an act involving his brother?

Answer: this is what we are investigating.

Defense Summation:

The suspect claims that he has no connection to the charges. He made a statement to the police, answered all the questions and told the investigators everything that happened to him that day, since morning and until he heard about the terrorist attack. “He is not connected to the event, and his statement has to be examined.”

He cooperates with the interrogators. “We ask to release him or to shorten his interrogation.”

Judge’s Summation:

The detainee’s brother allegedly killed three members of a family in the village of Halamish. The detainee is suspected of endangering security in the region. The defense objects to the number of days claiming that his client has no link to the event. The detainee cooperates and answers all the questions. “The police gave me a confidential file that details the background to the arrest. There are indications there that contradict the respondent’s claims. These are serious allegations and I am persuaded that they require investigation.”

Remand extension by 11 more days.

Yisair Munzer Farid Shetia – ID 952294784

He was arrested on 21.7.17.

The investigator requests 15 more days of interrogation.

The man is suspected of military activity aimed at disrupting security in the region.

Atty. Bilal Namana feels that he cannot ask questions, that he is facing a wall of doubts and uncertainty. He has yet to meet with the detainee because the latter is barred from seeing counsel since the day of his arrest. He thinks a shorter remand is in order. 15 days is too long to be without counsel. Mr. Namana adds: “There are 4 suspects that are barred from seeing counsel.”

After all the questions by the defense, we left the interrogation room, and the detainees were brought in one by one. The investigator told Justice Lieberman that at Ofer observers (like us) are not allow to attend the hearings of “barred” detainees. Justice Lieberman replied: hearings have to be open to the public.” This is something Justice Lieberman practices only partially. Had he wanted, he could have allowed us to stay for both parts of the hearings of those detainees that are barred from seeing their attorneys.

In addition:

Attorney Hashim asked judge Lieberman why he had grown a beard (he thought the judge was in mourning). The judge replied: this is not private a mourning, this is the mourning of a people that for two millennia has mourned the destruction of the Temple.

He admonished the defense attorneys: You should be more familiar with the Jewish holydays….