Palestinans at a checkpoint (Illustration)
Photo: AFP
Soldiers charged with abusing Palestinian minor
Border Guard officers Yishai Ben Ozri, Shani Sivilya indicted over checkpoint incident during which they beat 17-year-old Palestinian. They allegedly continued abusing victim at local police station
The Police Internal Investigations Department filed an indictment with the Jerusaelm District Court on Sunday against two Border Guard officers – Yishai Ben Ozeri, 30, from Ariel and Shani Sivilya, 22, from Jerusalem, for aggravated abuse and assault of a 17 year-old Palestinian, Ynet has learned.
According to the indictment, which was first filed by attorney Tali Friedman from the Police Internal Investigation Department in March 2010, the minor was detained at the Rockefeller checkpoint near Jerusalem. A search revealed that he was carrying three firecrackers.
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After the search, police claim that Ben Ozeri grabbed the minor's shirt, took him behind a nearby parked bus, beat him in the jaw and kicked him in the knee.
The indictment further suggests that the victim was then handcuffed and turned over to Sivilya and another officer named Zion Benishti. The two put the minor into a squad car and during the drive to the police station Sivilya tightened his cuffs and pulled them down in order to hurt the teen.
When they reached the station, Sivilya and Benishti took the elevator with the minor where Sivilya covered his head with the coat he was wearing.
When they got out of the elevator, Sivilya kicked the teen on his behind and threatened him, saying: "Ten more minutes and you're dead". It is claimed that the two officers led the Palestinian to an empty room at the station where they lowered him to his knees with his hands still tied behind his back and his head covered.
Motivated by racism
At this point, Sivilya took out her personal weapon, cocked it, and pointed the unloaded weapon to the victim's neck, while she counted down from 10 to one.The teen is then alleged to have screamed "no, no" after which, when she finished her countdown Sivilya pulled the trigger while yelling "Death to Arabs" and "All Arabs are whores". During the incident Benishti urged Sivilya to stop, but she refused.
Later Sivilya took the coat off the Palestinian's head, took one of the firecrackers found on his person and put it back in his pocket and covered his head again. She then used a lighter to make noises and scare him into thinking she was going to light the firecracker in his pocket.
Sivilya allegedly hit the victim and slapped him on the head. As a result, the teen suffered a split lip, bruises on his hands and pain in his leg. The Police Internal Investigations Department claims that Sivilya's actions were motivated by racism.
The department also filed an indictment against Benishti, 23, from Givat Ze'ev. As he was only present during the incident and did not actively abuse the minor, Benishti has only been charged with breach of trust and fraud. He is also listed as a witness for the prosecution in the indictment against Sivilya and Ben Ozeri.
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