Father of slain Palestinian teen petitions High Court against IDF

Family of youth killed January 2013 by security barrier near West Bank village of Budrus petitions over lack of prompt probe into death.

By TOVAH LAZAROFF
IDF soldiers at West Bank checkpoint 370 (photo credit: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
IDF soldiers at West Bank checkpoint 370
(photo credit: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
Ahmed Awad has petitioned the High Court of Justice to force the army to finish its inquiry into the shooting death of his son Samir, 16, on January 15, 2013 by the security barrier near the West Bank village of Budrus.
He has filed his suit together with the Israeli nongovernmental group B’Tselem, who has worked to highlight Awad’s case. They are represented in their suit by Gabi Lasky.
“This is not a petition on the substance but on the procedural issue of needing a response,” said B’Tslem spokeswoman Sarit Michaeli.
Completing an investigation promptly within a reasonable period of time is an obligation, it's not some kind of favor, she said.
The military police is investigating the incident but has yet to publish any conclusions, according to B’Tselem. Michaeli noted for example, that she knows that video footage exists of the incident, but that too has not been made public.
The High Court has asked the IDF to present its legal response to the petition by May 11th.
B’Tselem, in information it published on its web site, explained that Samir had gone to an area of the barrier with some of his friends after finishing his mid-year exams in school They had planned to throw stones at military patrols by the barrier.
As the teens walked by the barrier they saw that one of its gates, situated between two fences was open. One of Samir’s friends went through briefly, but stopped at the first fence and returned. Samir continued onward to the next fence, when IDF soldiers spotted him. The soldiers called for him to stop, but he tried to flee. The soldiers then shot at his leg. He briefly fell to the ground, but stood up again and tried to escape. The soldiers then shot him again, wounding him in the back and the head, according to B’Tselem.
At the time the IDF had said it believed Awad and his friends were attempting to damage the barrier and infiltrate into Israel.