Russian Compound, Jerusalem - Barred (from meeting with attorney), Minors

Translation: Marganit W.

Judge: Lieut. Col. Yoel Tsur

Investigators: Ihab Halabi, Kamal Falah

Defense: Atty. Ismail Tawil, Judd Kadmani, Maamoun Hashim

There are 6 names in the docket plus a minor (who is barred from seeing counsel) and Khaled Cnaan who was added to the list.

Normally, Roni and I arrive early. We are either allowed in the compound and in the remand extension hall, or we are asked to wait in the yard (unpleasant in either summer or winter). Today when we arrived at the entrance, the hearings were already in progress. We were led to the court, which was in full session: judge, typist, interpreter and attorneys were all talking together.

It was the hearing of two detainees (absent from court).

Atty. Tawil had finished arguing and hastened to leave the court. Everyone talked to everyone else. The investigators spoke directly to the computer (we could not hear them: there were long lists of suspicions, but we could not tell one from the other.)

Because of the chaos in the court, we cannot provide a detailed account. In most cases there was agreement between the sides.

Two quotes:

Atty. Kadmani represented an underage detainee who was barred from meeting with counsel.

The suspicions enumerated by the investigator were more numerous than the kid’s age (16.5): “He is kept under harsh conditions, unfit for a young boy. He is incarcerated with adult prisoners, not allowed to consult an attorney, and it is not clear that he knows what’s going on…”

The investigator requested 7 additional days (there is another person implicated in the case), adding that he limits his request to ‘only’ 7 days because the detainee is a minor.

The second quote is with regards to Khaled Cnaan.

He too looks very young, but was not described as a minor.

At the end of the exchange between the investigator and the defense, the judge asked Khaled if he had anything to say, and his reply was: ‘How long will I be kept in solitary?”

We waited for the other detainees, but they did not arrive; they were in the interrogation room.

The two sides came to an agreement and waited for the interrogations to end.

We left the court. It was a very frustrating day.