הוועד הציבורי נגד עינויים בישראל

Following a complaint filed on 17 December 2007 by PCATI Attorney Samah Elkhatib Ayoub, a soldier was convicted of assault leading to injury and for inappropriate behavior.

The soldier was sentenced to four and a half months imprisonment and also given a 90-day suspended sentence valid for two years. In addition, he was demoted to the rank of a private and ordered to pay compensation to the victim.

Background

The complainant was arrested on 23 October 2007 and transferred to the Etzion military detention facility. On 18 November 2007, upon transfer from his cell to a vehicle used for transferring detainees, the soldier accompanying the complainant attacked him, hit him on the head and placed his weapon close to his face threatening to kill him. Afterwards, he ordered the complainant to place his hands behind his back, kneel and lower his head. While in this position, and in the presence of other soldiers, the soldier kicked the complainant and a result he bled from the face and nose and felt that he was on the verge of fainting.

The complainant was then left in the transport vehicle for two hours without any form of medical care. Afterwards the soldier dragged him to the nearby nurse's room because he was unable to stand on his feet unaided. The nurse tried to give the complainant an injection, but he refused and received not medical care whatsoever. The complainant was brought back to the transport vehicle and was examined only two hours later by a military doctor who ordered his immediate transfer to the Hadassah Ein Karem hospital.