'I lve my country.' Malul
Photo: Ofer Amram
Prosecution demands more jail time for officer who beat Palestinians
'Lieutenant Malul abused his power, belittled the military and its function,' prosecution claims. Convicted officer: I did not enter village to show how tough I am; grey area exists in army protocol
The military prosecution on Wednesday demanded that a former deputy company commander in the Kfir Brigade be handed an additional prison sentence, fined, and demoted for beating Palestinians during an IDF operation in the West Bank in 2008.
Next week the court is expected to sentence Lieutenant Adam Malul following a lengthy trial on his case, which included testimonies from both the commander of the Kfir Brigade, Colonel Itai Virov, and Major General Gadi Shamni, who served as GOC Central Command at the time of the incident.
Malul claimed that a grey area exists in army protocol that allows commanders to make certain decisions regarding use of force in the field, but the judges decided to convict him of abuse.
However the prosecution was not satisfied and continued to heap criticism on Malul's behavior. "He made use of the power he had over innocent people without any reason, and took advantage of his position and their silence," Military Prosecutor Major Shelly Nachum said.
"He did not express regret for his actions and we feel these actions belittle the military and its function… He not only trampled the rights of innocent passersby he decided to interrogate, but also IDF values that take on additional importance in dealings with the local population. In his attempt to shake off responsibility he trampled the values of rule of law in the state."
The prosecution further claimed that Malul attempted to degrade the soldier who reported him to Military Police and used the media throughout the legal process to try and influence him. The prosecution demanded that Malul serve additional jail time despite the fact that he had already spent two months in prison and another month under house arrest.
Attorney Shemi Cohen, for Malul, called the prosecution's conduct towards his client vindictive. "(Malul) is an outstanding officer who was forced to leave the army following the incident," said the lawyer.
Malul told the presiding judges that he had no intention of harming Palestinians. "I did not enter the village to prove how tough I am and hurt innocent people. I was looking for weapons and for a man who opened fire on a Jewish community.
"I was told that this is the way it works. Someone might be doing the exact same thing as we speak," he said, "It is important for me to serve my country and contribute. I still love this country."
