Canadian tourist claims abuse at hands of Israeli police

Army Radio: Cops forced tourist to undress after suspecting that he possessed drugs.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Israeli Police (photo credit: ISRAEL POLICE)
Israeli Police
(photo credit: ISRAEL POLICE)
The Justice Ministry is checking a complaint filed on behalf of a Canadian tourist who contends he was subjected to a humiliating search by police in Tel Aviv, during which he was told to disrobe, remove his underwear and bend over.
The tourist, whose story was first told on Army Radio on Sunday, said that he was at the Central Bus Station one night last week, trying to board a bus to Jerusalem when he was surrounded by five police officers.
The tourist told Army Radio they were looking for drugs and asked him to empty out his pockets before then taking him to a stairwell of a nearby building. He said he was then told to take off his pants along with his underwear and bend over.
“I was really scared because I thought they were maybe going to rape me or beat me then they told me to take off my underwear and open my ass and look under my testicles, it was humiliating,” the tourist said in an interview with Army Radio.
In the following days the tourist submitted a complaint by way of an attorney, and on Sunday the Justice Ministry confirmed that it had received the complaint and is examining it.