4 policemen indicted for abusing Palestinian
Officers arrested last week on suspicion of mistreating man detainee suspected of stealing motorcycle, blackmailing its owner
The Justice Ministry's police investigations unit filed an indictment with the Jerusalem District Court on Sunday afternoon against four policemen arrested on suspicion of abusing a Palestinian detainee. The affair was first reported by Ynet.
According to the indictment, filed by Attorney Moshe Saada, the four are accused of abusing a helpless person, sexual harassment, assault and breach of trust. The police asked the court to keep the four in custody until the legal proceedings are completed.
The affair began last Sunday, when investigators raided the Yarkon District Police station in Tel Aviv and detained 10 policemen for questioning on suspicion of abusing A'alan Abu Najma, including one officer, detectives and members of the Israel Police's special patrol unit.
The Palestinian was arrested in late December after stealing a valuable motorcycle and trying to blackmail its owner. Abu Najma telephoned the motorcycle owner and offered to return the vehicle in exchange for NIS 40,000. One of the detectives posed as the motorcycle owner, met with the thief and arrested him together with his colleagues. Abu Najma was indicted about two weeks ago.
According to the indictment filed against four of the policemen, they cuffed Abu Najma with his hands behind his back and took him in a police car to the Hebron station. On the way to the station, one of the defendants spat at Abu Najma's face, cursed him and hit him in the chest.
Upon arriving at the station, the indictment states, the detainee was taken into the bathroom and a member of the police's special patrol unit poured liquid soap and the content of an ashtray, including cigarette butts, on his head. He then brushed the Palestinian's hear with a brush used to clean toilets.
Sour cream and banana peels
The indictment goes on to say that the policeman opened his pants, pulled out his penis, held it in his hand and urinated on the detainee, splashing the urine on the Palestinian's coat, shirt and pants.
Two of the detectives stood nearby and watched the incident, while the fourth defendant stood on a chair behind them and held his cellular phone in his hand, pretending to be documenting the incident.
Abu Najma was then taken from the bathroom to the patrol room. According to the indictment, the policeman then received banana peels and a box of sour cream from one of the detectives. He poured the cream on the Palestinian's head and put the banana peels on the detainee's ears and head, asking the policeman standing on the chair to take a picture.
The policeman then took an M-16 rifle, explained to the Palestinian that he plans to shove it up his behind, pushed Abu Najma against the wall and began sticking the weapon's barrel into his behind. Abu Najma, who was in a lot of pain, shoved the policeman, who then beat him with the help of two of the detectives.
The indictment states that the defendants abused a helpless, handcuffed detainee, indecently assaulted him and attacked him in an act constituting a breach of trust.
