During a hearing at the Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court regarding the arrest of an activist who participated in a protest outside a Shin Bet facility, Judge Zohar Dibon-Segal rebuked Shin Bet representatives for their unusual demand to restrict the representation of Honenu’s attorneys.
The judge strongly criticized the request, stating, “Such a move undermines the integrity of the legal process, and at best, it is an attempt to obtain a contradictory judicial ruling. In plain terms, this is a ‘try-your-luck’ tactic. When such a drastic step is requested - preventing a person from being represented by a lawyer - the investigating unit must provide weighty justifications for it before any other discussion takes place.”
She added, “The court expressed great astonishment at the very request, which is exceptional by all standards, and to the best of my knowledge, with due caution, I can say that I am not aware of a similar request being made in far more serious cases brought before the court, including those involving terrorists who harmed Israeli citizens after October 7.”
About two months ago, around twenty activists were arrested after protesting outside a Shin Bet facility, burning tires, and throwing cans of paint. The detainees were held under harsh conditions, and some were denied access to legal counsel for several days. With the assistance of the Honenu legal organization, all detainees were released without any indictments being filed.
Attorney Avichai Hajbi, who represented one of the detainees on behalf of Honenu, said after the hearing, “The court said aloud what we have all known for a long time - when it comes to Jewish detainees, the Shin Bet has its own rules. It’s time someone reminded the Shin Bet that no body is above the law - not even one that claims to act in the name of the law.”
