Lawyer Alleges Deliberate Abuse of Nir Hefetz in Netanyahu Corruption Case Detention

During the ongoing trial of former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Case 4000, defense attorney Amit Hadad confronted police officer Arnon Harpaz, the former coordination officer of the investigative team, over the harsh detention conditions of state witness Nir Hefetz. Hadad accused authorities of intentionally mistreating Hefetz, including exposing him to bedbugs, in what was described as a "flea tactic" to break detainees and coerce them into becoming state witnesses.

Harpaz denied any knowledge or responsibility for Hefetz's medical condition, stating his duties were limited to food, drink, transfers between facilities, room operations, and documentation of interrogations. Hadad presented medical reports and Hefetz's testimony describing severe itching, bites, and blisters, likened to leprosy symptoms, which Harpaz claimed he did not recall receiving updates about.

The presiding judge, Friedman-Feldman, questioned the relevance of this line of inquiry, to which Hadad responded that the defense alleges a deliberate strategy to "crush people into dust" to force cooperation as state witnesses. The exchange highlights tensions over the treatment of key witnesses in the high-profile corruption case involving Netanyahu.

The trial continues amid these allegations, with the defense seeking to challenge the credibility and conditions surrounding state witnesses like Hefetz, who play a crucial role in the prosecution's case.