Medad founded Honenu in 2001 to aid soldiers and citizens who face legal difficulties as a result of the security situation. He cited a court hearing held yesterday as a dramatic example of what appears to be a possible new trend. Without wishing to divulge many details, Medad explained that a 20-year-old youth whose father was murdered in a terrorist attack a number of years ago was being held for the crime of "manufacturing ninjot" - sharp contraptions designed to puncture army vehicle tires.
"Using cruel means," Medad said, "including showing false sympathy over the death of his father, the investigators cajoled him into incriminating his friends, and the judge sentenced him to remain in prison until the end of the proceedings against him. Just last week, however, he was released, but remains under 'community arrest.'
"Yesterday, he was brought for a court hearing, with a new public defense lawyer, who asked for some time to prepare the case. The judge refused, and insisted on beginning the trial immediately. Even after the youth said he was dismissing the lawyer, the judge refused to accept the dismissal; even when the lawyer resigned the case, the judge still insisted on beginning the trial. Finally, I sent him an SMS message, advising him to ask for the disqualification of the judge herself, since she was being so unreasonable. He did this, and the judge was taken aback. She called a 15-minute recess, and then announced that the trial would resume in two months' time."
Honenu provides legal counsel for those who have been forced to respond in real-time to terror threats, thus becoming entangled in a web of legal and financial difficulties. The organization also helps right-wing demonstrators and activists who have been arrested for their efforts.
This afternoon as well, Medad said, "something wonderful happened - having to do with several girls who refused to leave prison until their friend would be released as well. Eleven girls aged 15-17 were in prison - arrested in Kedumim while trying to reach Chomesh to resist the expulsion a number of weeks ago, on charges of trying to puncture an army vehicle - and the judge finally allowed them to leave jail last week with only minor restrictions. However, they refused to go, for ideological reasons. Seven of them said that because their friend, T., aged 16, was still being held, they too would not go."
"The story with T.," Medad said, "is that she was arrested while trying to get to Sa-Nur to resist the expulsion, and as she was being dragged by a female soldier, the soldier was cut by a knife that fell out of the girl's pocket. The Prosecution originally tried to accuse her of willfully stabbing the soldier - but the soldier herself said, and I heard her, as did MK Gila Finkelstein and others, that she would never testify to such a thing because it would be a lie.
"In any event, today was the hearing for T., and we were pretty optimistic that they would finally release her, if only in order to 'get rid' of the other girls. In the end, T. received even better terms than the others - absolutely no restrictions for her release. So the others agreed to go as well, even though they have restrictions such as a ban upon entering military zones and participating in illegal demonstrations."
Three girls continue to remain in prison, however, as Medad continued:
"They have a different story - one of real inner fortitude. They refuse to recognize the court's right to try them, unless it is run by Torah principles, and refuse to cooperate in any way with the system that carried out such a cruel expulsion of fellow Jews. They similarly refuse to sign an obligation to return for trial when called."
Arutz-7 spoke with the father of one of the girls, who said,
"These girls have very strong principles, and when we saw that [our daughter] was willing to stick up for these ideals, we supported her. I myself appeared in court last week, and showed the court the booklet I recently wrote proving that the present court system is authorized by a Jewish state that is not run according to Jewish Law and therefore has no authority to try them... Yes, it's hard, and certainly the conditions in N'vei Tirtzah [Women's Prison] are not pleasant, but she is strong."
The Honenu director said that in the case of Shimshon Cytryn, "the legal system is not taking major steps towards him." Cytryn, 20, was arrested over two months ago following what the media called an "attempted lynching," but was really nothing more than a rock-throwing exchange.
A yeshiva student from Nachliel, Shimshon is charged with "attempted murder" of an Arab youth in the Muassi area of what was Gush Katif - when in fact the Arab himself 1) was only slightly injured, 2) threw rocks himself at Jews for many minutes, and 3) said himself that he was hurt not by a rock but by a rifle butt.
Cytryn is currently in prison until the end of the legal proceedings, on charges that could land him in jail for 20 years. In a Be'er Sheva court hearing on Sunday appealing the pre-conviction imprisonment, Shimshon was sent for psychological testing and for an evaluation by a probation officer. His attorney, Shai Volstein, explained that another defendant in the case - charged with slightly less severe crimes than Cytryn - was recently released after such testing. "The State Prosecution appealed to the Supreme Court against the release," Volstein said, "but the Court rejected the appeal."
The testing is to be completed by Sept. 27, in time for the next court date. For more information on the case, send email to "amcytryn@netvision.net.il".
"Using cruel means," Medad said, "including showing false sympathy over the death of his father, the investigators cajoled him into incriminating his friends, and the judge sentenced him to remain in prison until the end of the proceedings against him. Just last week, however, he was released, but remains under 'community arrest.'
"Yesterday, he was brought for a court hearing, with a new public defense lawyer, who asked for some time to prepare the case. The judge refused, and insisted on beginning the trial immediately. Even after the youth said he was dismissing the lawyer, the judge refused to accept the dismissal; even when the lawyer resigned the case, the judge still insisted on beginning the trial. Finally, I sent him an SMS message, advising him to ask for the disqualification of the judge herself, since she was being so unreasonable. He did this, and the judge was taken aback. She called a 15-minute recess, and then announced that the trial would resume in two months' time."
Honenu provides legal counsel for those who have been forced to respond in real-time to terror threats, thus becoming entangled in a web of legal and financial difficulties. The organization also helps right-wing demonstrators and activists who have been arrested for their efforts.
This afternoon as well, Medad said, "something wonderful happened - having to do with several girls who refused to leave prison until their friend would be released as well. Eleven girls aged 15-17 were in prison - arrested in Kedumim while trying to reach Chomesh to resist the expulsion a number of weeks ago, on charges of trying to puncture an army vehicle - and the judge finally allowed them to leave jail last week with only minor restrictions. However, they refused to go, for ideological reasons. Seven of them said that because their friend, T., aged 16, was still being held, they too would not go."
"The story with T.," Medad said, "is that she was arrested while trying to get to Sa-Nur to resist the expulsion, and as she was being dragged by a female soldier, the soldier was cut by a knife that fell out of the girl's pocket. The Prosecution originally tried to accuse her of willfully stabbing the soldier - but the soldier herself said, and I heard her, as did MK Gila Finkelstein and others, that she would never testify to such a thing because it would be a lie.
"In any event, today was the hearing for T., and we were pretty optimistic that they would finally release her, if only in order to 'get rid' of the other girls. In the end, T. received even better terms than the others - absolutely no restrictions for her release. So the others agreed to go as well, even though they have restrictions such as a ban upon entering military zones and participating in illegal demonstrations."
Three girls continue to remain in prison, however, as Medad continued:
"They have a different story - one of real inner fortitude. They refuse to recognize the court's right to try them, unless it is run by Torah principles, and refuse to cooperate in any way with the system that carried out such a cruel expulsion of fellow Jews. They similarly refuse to sign an obligation to return for trial when called."
Arutz-7 spoke with the father of one of the girls, who said,
"These girls have very strong principles, and when we saw that [our daughter] was willing to stick up for these ideals, we supported her. I myself appeared in court last week, and showed the court the booklet I recently wrote proving that the present court system is authorized by a Jewish state that is not run according to Jewish Law and therefore has no authority to try them... Yes, it's hard, and certainly the conditions in N'vei Tirtzah [Women's Prison] are not pleasant, but she is strong."
The Honenu director said that in the case of Shimshon Cytryn, "the legal system is not taking major steps towards him." Cytryn, 20, was arrested over two months ago following what the media called an "attempted lynching," but was really nothing more than a rock-throwing exchange.
A yeshiva student from Nachliel, Shimshon is charged with "attempted murder" of an Arab youth in the Muassi area of what was Gush Katif - when in fact the Arab himself 1) was only slightly injured, 2) threw rocks himself at Jews for many minutes, and 3) said himself that he was hurt not by a rock but by a rifle butt.
Cytryn is currently in prison until the end of the legal proceedings, on charges that could land him in jail for 20 years. In a Be'er Sheva court hearing on Sunday appealing the pre-conviction imprisonment, Shimshon was sent for psychological testing and for an evaluation by a probation officer. His attorney, Shai Volstein, explained that another defendant in the case - charged with slightly less severe crimes than Cytryn - was recently released after such testing. "The State Prosecution appealed to the Supreme Court against the release," Volstein said, "but the Court rejected the appeal."
The testing is to be completed by Sept. 27, in time for the next court date. For more information on the case, send email to "amcytryn@netvision.net.il".