5 detained Jewish teens not allowed to meet lawyers

By BEN HARTMAN
Updated: APRIL 13, 2016 06:14
Gavel [Illustrative] (photo credit: INIMAGE)
Gavel [Illustrative]
(photo credit: INIMAGE)
Five Jewish teenagers – including an IDF soldier and three brothers – have been kept from meeting with attorneys since their arrest last week on suspicion of “security crimes” against Palestinians.
The attorneys for the four civilian suspects appealed the restriction banning them from meeting with attorneys, but a district court judge rejected the appeal on Tuesday evening.
The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) confirmed the suspects have been prevented from meeting with attorneys while in custody. Due to the gag order on the case, the Shin Bet said they could not comment on the allegations against the suspects, saying only that they were “security crimes.” They would not specify if they include acts of violence, or were limited to vandalism and property crimes.
On Monday it was cleared for publication that in addition to the three minors, two adult suspects were arrested for nationalist crimes on April 5, including one suspected of torching a car belonging to a Palestinian.
Later on Monday, the IDF soldier was brought for a remand hearing at the IDF Military Court in Jaffa, where his detention was extended for an additional seven days.
Chai Haber, the attorney representing the soldier, said the case involves events which his client was already questioned for and released, and alleged that security forces are illegally pressuring the suspects.
He likened the restrictions to those used against suspects following the torching of a Palestinian family’s home in Duma in the West Bank last summer that killed an infant boy and his parents. Since the security forces sweep after the fatal firebombing, a number of suspects have been kept in administrative detention, with restrictions on their due process.