 |
 |
 |
|
|
The settlement of Yitzhar, right-wing activist Neria Ofen's home before police began holding him in 'administrative detention'.
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
05/18
Haaretz |
|
05/19
Arutz Sheva |
|
|
| By israelinsider staff and partners May 18, 2005 |
|
| |
The Be'er Sheva District Court Wednesday approved an administrative detention order issued against far-right activist Neria Ofen suspected by security services of intending to carry out attacks against Palestinian targets.
Yehoshua Pilpel, the court's president, limited in his ruling the detention order until midnight of September 7, and not September 30, as the order said.
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz issued the detention order against Neria Ofen from the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar, stating that Ofen was suspected of planning to carry out attacks against Palestinians.
In order for the order to take full effect it required the seal of a District Court. Ofen's supporters have been holding protests outside the court in recent days.
Pilpel's ruling was divided into a public section and one that was read behind closed doors without the presence of Ofen or his attorney. The judge quoted Mofaz's arguments in support of the detention claiming that it was required "due to the detainee's involvement violent illegal activities which include acts of terrorism."
But the Shin Bet refused to reveal the evidence, claiming that doing so would expose intelligence sources and hamper efforts to curb settler violence.
Military sources said last week there was a consensus among the Shin Bet, the Israel Defense Forces' Central Command, the State Prosecutor's Office and the Military Advocate General's Office that Ofen should be detained.
"There was unequivocal information about his plans to harm Arabs in the near future," the sources said. "That's why such an unusual step was needed."
In the meantime, Naomi Ofan, Neria's wife, asked three questions of the Knesset Law Committee:
"First of all, if he is under suspicion, then why don't they put him on trial? How can they just keep him in prison without even telling him the nature of the accusations against him? It's simply political -- as is evidenced by the fact that they plan to release him in September, after the disengagement; will he cease to be a danger to the public after the summer?"
Her second question:
"On Sunday, the judge in the Be'er Sheva court decided that the GSS (General Security Service) must open the documents against my husband, and formulate a summary of the main points [of the charges against him]. The judge even said, 'If you don't do it, I'll do it.' A half-hour later, after GSS agents talked to him secretly in his chambers -- we were not permitted to enter and we have no idea what happened there -- he came out and changed his mind. This must be investigated! It cannot be that a Chief Court Justice changes things this way."
"And third," she said, "how am I supposed to choose which of my four children -- aged 8 and down -- can't see their father? Yesterday, I was told we could come for a visit, so we dressed up all nice, etc., and then I received a phone call from the prison, telling me the rules: only three people, only a half-hour, he'll be behind bars, etc. What, our 1-year-old baby can't see or touch his father?! What is this, Russia?! Are we monkeys in a zoo?"
Committee Chairman Michael Eitan responded that he would work to improve the jail conditions for the prisoner in accordance with her third question. His other reactions were not as pleasing to Naomi, however.
In response to her second question, Eitan said that judges are allowed to change their minds.
Responding to her first question, MK Eitan said, "This is the law, and I don't think that yourself would want to change it," because that would prevent the GSS from properly interrogating suspected Arab terrorists.
"The GSS intimated that he has been planning terrorism for four years," Naomi said, "but this it totally ridiculous. It's obvious that they were after him because of his work in getting soldiers to sign their refusal to fulfill the immoral disengagement orders. They simply want to scare the right-wing."
|
|
 
|
|
|
|
Click on the blue headline to read a Talkback comment and respond to it. Click on the  icon to send a private email to the talkback writer. The icon appears only if the writer has decided to be contacted. If no popup window appears, please make sure your popup blocker allows israelinsider.com.
|
|
| |
|
|
