Settlers: Police fabricated arrest warrants
Attorney representing two settlers arrested during evacuation of Shapira house in Hebron says arrest warrants issued by police were fabricated. Police in response: These are pointless accusations
The Police on Wednesday released two settlers arrested in Hebron on Sunday for hurling stones at troops during the eviction of Beit Shapira in Hebron.
Police wanted to keep the settlers in jail until the conclusion of legal procedures against them, but their lawyer said police officers used fictitious arrest warrants.
Violent confrontations erupted between settlers and evacuation troops, leaving 17 policemen and seven settlers lightly injured.
The two settlers were arrested for suspicion they had hurled stones at police officers.
Attorney Naftali Wertzberger of Honenu (Our Amnesty), a civil rights organization, inspected the warrants, which the accused refused to sign.
The two settlers told Wertzberger police never asked them to sign.
'Very serious incident'
Wertzberger said police officers locked up the two suspects and left, issuing the warrants hours after the arrests. Being away from the cell where the two settlers were jailed, the officers claimed that the warrants are not signed by the accused because they refused to do so.
"It is very serious incident. If that's how policemen acted in this case, I am starting to probe arrest warrants in other cases," he said.
The Judea and Samaria District Police said in response: "These are unfounded accusations. The warrant was issued by a Border Police officer, and because of a technical problem the warrant was not filled as requested by law. The two were released after being taken away from Hebron."
"We intend on issuing against them an indictment for attacking a policeman," the police added.
