Yitzhak Hazut, the activities director of the Honenu legal aid organization, was violently detained for investigation on Thursday afternoon by police officers adjacent to the Petah Tikva Magistrates Court.
Numerous witnesses at the scene described how the officers used severe force against Hazut for no discernible reason, in shocking abuse that was caught on film.
Hazut, who will soon finish his legal studies and become a full lawyer, has accompanied detainees and their families as part of his work in Honenu, and arrives at all court cases connected to the detainees. Thursday's incident began as he spoke with two citizens adjacent to the court, which he had arrived at in order to attend a hearing on the extension of the arrest of two suspects Honenu is representing.
Police officers ordered Hazut to enter the marked area where friends of the detained suspects were being allowed to demonstrate, at which point he tried to explain to them that he didn't come to demonstrate but rather to take part in the court discussion.
However, the officers ignored his words and pushed him violently, choked him, and forced him into the marked area as can be seen in the following video.
After several moments Hazut left the demonstration area and crossed the road towards the courthouse, so as to enter the discussion.
At that point, the officers pounced on him and shoved him back, informing him he was being detained on suspicions of disturbing the public order and disturbing a police officer, and he was taken to the city's police station.
The video below shows the officers shoving him as he tried to cross the street towards the court, using serious force for no clear reason.
Honenu announced that it views the matter with great severity.
"This is a false and illegal arrest, and we will demand that justice be meted out against the officers who acted against the law and with violence," said Shmuel Meidad, director of the organization.
"The police and the Shabak (Israel Security Agency) have lost their moral compass."