Protesting outside of court
Photo: Ido Erez
Ameer Makhoul
Omar Said
Photo: Avishag Shaar-Yashuv
Came to show support. Prof. Yehouda Shenhav
Photo: Ido Erez
Issam, Makhoul's brother, with Sheikh Salah
Photo: Ido Erez
Court extends remand of 2 espionage suspects
Security services deny request of Ameer Makhoul to meet with lawyers. Defense counsel meets Omar Said for second time, say he seems 'exhausted, but reassured'
Petach Tikva Magistrate's Court on Wednesday extended the remand of Ameer Makhoulm, an Arab-Israeli writer and head of Ittijah organization, and Omar Said, a senior activist in Balad party, who were arrested on suspicion of espionage and contact with a foreign agent.
Makhoul's remand was extended by five days, while Said's was extended by four days.
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The affair, which was released for publication on Monday stirred a row in the Arab sector and among leftist organizations.
Dozens of people appeared in court on Wednesday to show their support of the two and protested their arrest. Among the attendees were lecturers from Tel Aviv University.
The remand hearings were held behind closed doors, as many of the affair's details are still under a gag order.
Janan Makhoul, Ameer's wife, in court on Wednesday (Photo: Ido Erez)
At the beginning of the hearing, attorneys Hussein abu Hussein, Orna Cohen and Hassan Jabareen, who represent Mahkoul on behalf of Adallah human rights organization, were escorted out of the courtroom because of the injunction placed on the defendant, which forbids him from receiving legal council.
The three were allowed back into the courtroom only when Said's hearing began. Attorney Abu Hussein, who met with his client for the second time on Wednesday, told Ynet that Said appears exhausted. However, Abu Hussein added, "He is reassured and confident. We have no doubt that what is being ascribed to him will be resolved with complete silence."
Sheikh Raed Salah holds prayer outside courtroom (Photo: Ido Erez)
Abu Hussein said that although the investigation materials were not made available to him, he seriously questioned the accusations made against his client.
"Said told us about the accusations made against him," Abu Hussein said, adding that his client told him he was investigated for many hours.
"Unfortunately I am not able to discuss the content of the investigation due to the gag order, but from what he described, we are assuming there is no basis for filing an indictment," Abu Hussein noted.
