Eliran Avraham, Eran Naim and other policemen were filmed by Arutz-7 Russian website director Tuvia Lerner violently attacking 20-year-old Akiva Vitkin. The attack occurred during an anti-disengagement demonstration in Ramat Gan on June 29. As a result of the existence of the film clip, as described in the Arutz-7 report that followed, Vitkin filed suit in a Tel Aviv court, and one of the policemen involved was almost immediately suspended.
Vitkin later told Arutz-7, "Four or five Yassamnikim [special-force policemen] surrounded and grabbed me - each one with his own job: One choked me, one bent my arms, one poked his fingers very strongly into my nose up and down - on two different occasions - and it felt as if he was trying to push my nose into my skull. It hurt terribly. And another one poked my eyes very strongly..."
Lerner said that it was a "cruel, shocking and pre-meditated attack by policemen."
The attack didn't end there, however. Vitkin maintains that Avraham later beat him several times inside the police station:
"He then took me into a side room where there was a bunch of policemen and they all started beating me up. Punches to the head, kicks, everything, while at the same time, one of them was trying to put handcuffs on me. When they finished, they sat me on a chair, with my hands handcuffed behind me, and one guy started slapping and punching me in my face and head with all his strength. I of course couldn't defend myself. It was just like one long terrible painful hurt; I couldn't feel each individual punch... He even head-butted me in my head one time."
Though the suit against the policemen was filed several months ago, via Attorney Nadav Haetzni, only ten days ago did the court give the State notice that it must decide what course of action it is taking against Avraham. The State finally informed the court that it had decided, as of this week, to withdraw his police authorities and distance him from all contact with the public.
Avraham's trial will resume in Tel Aviv on January 25.
Vitkin later told Arutz-7, "Four or five Yassamnikim [special-force policemen] surrounded and grabbed me - each one with his own job: One choked me, one bent my arms, one poked his fingers very strongly into my nose up and down - on two different occasions - and it felt as if he was trying to push my nose into my skull. It hurt terribly. And another one poked my eyes very strongly..."
Lerner said that it was a "cruel, shocking and pre-meditated attack by policemen."
The attack didn't end there, however. Vitkin maintains that Avraham later beat him several times inside the police station:
"He then took me into a side room where there was a bunch of policemen and they all started beating me up. Punches to the head, kicks, everything, while at the same time, one of them was trying to put handcuffs on me. When they finished, they sat me on a chair, with my hands handcuffed behind me, and one guy started slapping and punching me in my face and head with all his strength. I of course couldn't defend myself. It was just like one long terrible painful hurt; I couldn't feel each individual punch... He even head-butted me in my head one time."
Though the suit against the policemen was filed several months ago, via Attorney Nadav Haetzni, only ten days ago did the court give the State notice that it must decide what course of action it is taking against Avraham. The State finally informed the court that it had decided, as of this week, to withdraw his police authorities and distance him from all contact with the public.
Avraham's trial will resume in Tel Aviv on January 25.