The Honenu legal aid organization is sharply criticizing the arrest of 10 young men in an investigation into reported attacks on a French diplomat and an American journalist in the Binyamin region, arguing that investigators have not presented evidence linking the suspects to the alleged incidents.
At the conclusion of court hearings on Monday evening, seven of the suspects were ordered to remain in custody for an additional two days, while three others were released to house arrest. Attorneys Daniel Shimshilashvili and Asaf Gonen, who represent the suspects, are expected to file an appeal this morning against the decision to extend the detention of the seven men.
The attorneys claim the arrests were carried out indiscriminately against young men who happened to be in the area when the incidents occurred, without individual evidence demonstrating their involvement in the alleged assaults.
“After reviewing the police's claims in court, we can say clearly: These are baseless arrests. Serious accusations require evidence and proof, and those are absent from this case. Ultimately, this appears to be another part of a campaign of defamation and persecution, involving mass arrests that have nothing to do with fair legal proceedings," the attorneys said.
Regarding Saturday's incident involving the French diplomat, they claimed that the investigation materials presented to them indicated that he had not been injured. They also said he had not filed a complaint about the incident. Concerning the alleged assault on the American journalist on Friday, the attorneys maintained that there was no evidence linking any of their clients to an attack.
The attorneys also raised questions about the American journalist's conduct at the scene. They claimed that investigation materials included footage showing her spending an extended period alongside masked Arab individuals who, according to the attorneys, were armed with slingshots and stones. They questioned why she had remained with the group. These allegations were made by the defense attorneys and have not been established as findings in the legal proceedings. The attorneys further alleged that the arrests were intended to address external pressure rather than being justified by evidence warranting the suspects' continued detention.
Honenu also highlighted the case of one detainee who, according to the organization, serves as a medic and arrived at the scene in that capacity to help the injured. The organization claimed that he provided an alibi supported by messages and real-time updates documenting his activities, but was nevertheless arrested and had his detention extended.