Slippery Slope

Shin Bet documents show that illegal interrogation methods are still being used against Palestinian prisoners even though they were banned by a 1999 High Court decision. (Haaretz)

(Hebrew – Haaretz)

In the years 2009-2011 the military court system in the West Bank approved more than 97% of the administrative detention warrants issued by the IDF against Palestinians. (Haaretz)

(Hebrew – Haaretz)

Ilya Gordiyenko, an Ashdod resident, was assaulted by nine police officers after refusing to accompany them to the police station without being told what he was suspected of. The officers claimed that the suspect assaulted them, but a video of the arrest shows their version to be a lie. However, the judge refused to watch the video and extended Gordiyenko’s detention, who was later fully acquitted of all charges.

(Video)

(Hebrew – Mako)

According to an investigative report by Australian television channel ABC, Ben Zygier, an Israeli with Australian citizenship who was held in complete isolation at Ayalon prison, committed suicide in his cell. According to the report, Zygier was imprisoned without anyone’s knowledge. Zygier’s jailers did not know the identity of the prisoner under their charge nor the reason for his arrest. The affair has been under a gag order, and reports about it in Israeli media have been censored. (ABC)

(Hebrew – Haaretz)

The Givatayim police detective unit has been closed after the police investigations unit opened five investigations into violence used against detainees in its offices during its single year of operation.

(Hebrew – Walla!)

The GSS uses an interrogation method in which the interrogated person is denied sleep, while being supplied with coffee, despite a past court ruling which stated that a person cannot be convicted based on information obtained using such methods. (Haaretz)

(Hebrew – Haaretz)

The Jerusalem small claims court has ordered the police to pay 7,000 NIS to right-wing activist Itamar Ben-Gvir as compensation for an illegal arrest during a demonstration against the deal with Hamas for the release of Gilad Shalit.  Right-wing activist Benzi Gupstein, who was detained but not arrested during the same demonstration, will receive 2,000 NIS in compensation. (Ynetnews)

(Hebrew – HaKol HaYehudi)

A Jerusalem Court acquitted two 14 year old boys charged with the rape of a 13 year old girl, even though both defendants confessed to and implicated each other in the crime.  The acquittal was made possible after it was revealed that the investigators used improper means to obtain the confessions.

(Hebrew – Walla!)

Despite a court order, Jerusalem Police officers continue to lead detainees from the detention facility in the Russian Compound to the courthouse through a crowded street while handcuffed. (Haaretz)

(Hebrew – Haaretz)

A resident of Ma’aleh Adumim who held a sign outside the Shay Police station in protest of what she said was police refusal to take seriously her complaint about her neighbors, was arrested for three days and sent to psychiatric evaluation. (Haaretz)

(Hebrew – Haaretz)