2 cops convicted of negligent homicide of Palestinian
Family of Omar abu-Jribran, who was left to die on side of road, not consoled by court ruling; 'you treated him like an animal,' says his sister
The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on Monday convicted two police officers, Assaf Yekutieli and Baruch Peretz, of negligent homicide in the death of Omar abu-Jribran four years ago.
Abu-Jribran, a Palestinian from Gaza Strip who was illegally staying in Israel, was found dead on the side of a highway near Atarot Junction in June 2008. Two weeks earlier, abu-Jribran was involved in a car accident with a vehicle that he had stolen. He was hospitalized in Sheeba Medical Center, and later transferred to police custody.
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According to the indictment, the commander of the police station where abu-Jribran was held instructed to return abu-Jribran to the Palestinian territories, against police regulations.
Peretz, who was the officer on duty, passed the directive on to Yekutieli, who drove abu-Jribran to Ofer Base and left him on the side of the road without water or food. Abu-Jribran, who was wearing his pajamas and had a catheter still attached to his body, was found dead two days later.
Meanwhile, Abu-Jribran's family was not comforted by the court's ruling, his sister Kipah saying that "with all due respect to Jews, you treated him like an animal.
"When one of yours is in distress, like Gilad Shalit, the whole world acts on his behalf," she lamented.
"How would you react if it was your own brother," Kifah abu-Jribran said, adding that her brother was "hospitalized in a well-known hospital, and everyone knows that patients are treated well and with respect, but my brother was kicked out."
Referring to the conviction, Kifha said, "We know how it is in Israel, they will probably get released in several months," she said.
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