The Hevron resident and former Kach activist has just had his conditions of house-arrest improved, but believes the move stems from ulterior motives on the part of the Shabak (GSS). Federman warns that the same laws that enable the regional IDF commander to keep him under house arrest can be used to do the same to any Jewish resident of Judea, Samaria or Gaza.
Federman was released from prison in June after being held, without trial or the knowledge of what he was being accused of doing, for over six months in administrative detention.
“The Supreme Court cleared me of any involvement with any ‘underground’ or any connection to any of the attacks on Arabs,” Federman told Arutz-7. “The Court came to the conclusion that it would look too strange for me to continue sitting in prison under administrative detention for the crimes I was just acquitted of and released me, claiming they would continue the investigations. Upon my release, though, I received a new administrative order placing me under house arrest – and I have been confined to my house for half a year now.”
Tuesday, Federman’s second house arrest order expired and, through his lawyer, Naftali Wurzberger, the State Prosecutor offered Federman an extra hour a day during which he would be allowed to leave his house, on the condition that he signed the order, agreeing to it. “They wanted me to declare my agreement to three more months of house arrest in exchange for my being able to take a walk down the street for an hour a day,” Federman said. “Their aim was to demonstrate that I agreed to the terms, thereby preventing me from appealing the order.”
Federman told Wurzberger that he refused to take the offer. “I told him to tell the State Prosecutors and the Shabak (GSS) that, on Chanukah, I don’t sign deals with Hellenists and that I refuse to be party to any such agreement.”
“Then came the threats,” Federman said. “They said that if I didn’t agree to the deal they would make my house arrest more severe, but I stood my ground and today received a renewed order allowing me to move around during the day, but requiring me to return to my ‘fox-hole’ at nightfall.”
Asked if he is happy with the new improved conditions of his house arrest, Federman said that he doesn’t look at the situation in such a manner. “The problem is that this issue doesn’t just affect me. The issue we are speaking about is the system of persecution by which orders are issued which are next to impossible to deal with in the courts. Everything is kept secret from you and you must defend yourself by guessing [the accusations against you]. You are forced to defend yourself blindfolded, with your hands tied behind your back.”
Federman says the administrative orders being used against him are just the latest tool used to suppress right-wing activists. “I told them that if they had something on me – then issue an indictment. The fact is that to this day, they have issued tens of indictments and, thank God, I was acquitted each and every time. It is therefore no surprise that since they failed using one method they began using another one – that is why the situation is so serious.”
Federman warns that he is just a test-case. “Today they are doing this to me, tomorrow they will do it to others. If we don’t stick our finger in the dam and stop this leak – today it’s Noam Federman, but tomorrow it will be the residents of Beit El and Gush Katif.
“We all know Ariel Sharon’s evil plans and the punishment he plans to inflict upon anybody who stands in the way of this savage expulsion. It is clear that if the silence in the right-wing camp with regard to the administrative orders that have been used against me continues – tomorrow there will be others in my place,” Federman warned.
Federman was released from prison in June after being held, without trial or the knowledge of what he was being accused of doing, for over six months in administrative detention.
“The Supreme Court cleared me of any involvement with any ‘underground’ or any connection to any of the attacks on Arabs,” Federman told Arutz-7. “The Court came to the conclusion that it would look too strange for me to continue sitting in prison under administrative detention for the crimes I was just acquitted of and released me, claiming they would continue the investigations. Upon my release, though, I received a new administrative order placing me under house arrest – and I have been confined to my house for half a year now.”
Tuesday, Federman’s second house arrest order expired and, through his lawyer, Naftali Wurzberger, the State Prosecutor offered Federman an extra hour a day during which he would be allowed to leave his house, on the condition that he signed the order, agreeing to it. “They wanted me to declare my agreement to three more months of house arrest in exchange for my being able to take a walk down the street for an hour a day,” Federman said. “Their aim was to demonstrate that I agreed to the terms, thereby preventing me from appealing the order.”
Federman told Wurzberger that he refused to take the offer. “I told him to tell the State Prosecutors and the Shabak (GSS) that, on Chanukah, I don’t sign deals with Hellenists and that I refuse to be party to any such agreement.”
“Then came the threats,” Federman said. “They said that if I didn’t agree to the deal they would make my house arrest more severe, but I stood my ground and today received a renewed order allowing me to move around during the day, but requiring me to return to my ‘fox-hole’ at nightfall.”
Asked if he is happy with the new improved conditions of his house arrest, Federman said that he doesn’t look at the situation in such a manner. “The problem is that this issue doesn’t just affect me. The issue we are speaking about is the system of persecution by which orders are issued which are next to impossible to deal with in the courts. Everything is kept secret from you and you must defend yourself by guessing [the accusations against you]. You are forced to defend yourself blindfolded, with your hands tied behind your back.”
Federman says the administrative orders being used against him are just the latest tool used to suppress right-wing activists. “I told them that if they had something on me – then issue an indictment. The fact is that to this day, they have issued tens of indictments and, thank God, I was acquitted each and every time. It is therefore no surprise that since they failed using one method they began using another one – that is why the situation is so serious.”
Federman warns that he is just a test-case. “Today they are doing this to me, tomorrow they will do it to others. If we don’t stick our finger in the dam and stop this leak – today it’s Noam Federman, but tomorrow it will be the residents of Beit El and Gush Katif.
“We all know Ariel Sharon’s evil plans and the punishment he plans to inflict upon anybody who stands in the way of this savage expulsion. It is clear that if the silence in the right-wing camp with regard to the administrative orders that have been used against me continues – tomorrow there will be others in my place,” Federman warned.