Lawyers Claim Arrests in Diplomat Attack Probe Are Baseless
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
Lawyers for ten youths arrested in connection with alleged assaults on a French diplomat and an American journalist in the Benjamin region claim the detentions are baseless. Seven suspects remain in custody for two more days, while three are under house arrest. The defense argues there is no evidence linking their clients to the incidents and that the arrests are politically motivated.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Lawyers for ten arrested youths claim the detentions are baseless, citing a lack of evidence.
- Seven suspects remain in custody for two additional days following court hearings.
- Three other suspects have been released to house arrest.
- The defense questions the journalist's presence near armed individuals during the incident.
- Lawyers allege the arrests are a response to external pressure, not evidence.
Lawyers representing ten young men arrested in connection with alleged assaults on a French diplomat and an American journalist in the Benjamin region are vehemently protesting the detentions, calling them "baseless arrests." The legal team, including Daniel Shemeshvili and Assaf Gonen, stated that after reviewing the investigation materials presented in court, they found no evidence linking their clients to the alleged attacks.
Following court hearings on Monday, seven of the suspects were ordered to remain in custody for an additional two days, while three were released to house arrest. The lawyers are preparing to appeal the decision to extend the detention of the seven. They argue that the arrests were conducted broadly, targeting young men who were in the area at the time, without specific evidence of their involvement.
Regarding the incident with the French diplomat on Saturday, the defense claims he was not injured and did not file a complaint. Concerning the American journalist on Friday, the lawyers assert there is no evidence that any of the detainees were part of an assault. They also raised questions about the journalist's conduct, presenting investigation materials that they claim show her near masked individuals armed with slingshots and stones for an extended period, whom the lawyers referred to as "terrorists."
The lawyers, representing the Honenu organization, contend that the arrests are a response to external pressure rather than being based on evidence justifying continued detention. They described the situation as a "wholesale arrest" unrelated to just legal proceedings. Honenu highlighted the case of one detainee, a medic who arrived at the scene to assist the injured, claiming he has an alibi supported by real-time communications, yet his arrest was extended.
