Right-wing activist, Hebron resident and attorney Itamar Ben-Givir scored another judicial victory against Israel Police. Police will have to pay 10,000 NIS to a �Return to the Mountain� (?????? ???) organization activist who was falsely arrested on Independence Day, detained overnight and subjected to a humiliating search.

The complainant, who was a minor at the time, was taking part in an event organized by the organization, which promotes return to Har Habayis. At some point a policeman believed the youth violated the restrictions set forth for Jewish visitors and decided to take him in to the station. When the young man�s bag was searched police found �Kahana was right� and �Free Har Habayis� stickers. The young man was then subjected to a humiliating search. Ben-Givir was called and in an urgent petition to a court, an order was issued for his immediate release. Police nonetheless did not comply with the order until morning.

The complainant was seeking 25,000 NIS in damages, claiming his rights were violated.

�Attorney Ben-Givir commented on the verdict, “I hope that the case at hand as well as many others that ended awarding damages against the police and/or officers will direct the operation of Israel Police. There is no place for a degrading body search and abusive treatment of detainees and certainly they should have to comply with the decision of the Court ordered the immediate release of the young man. While I understand that most Israel Prison Authority officers who were on duty at the time were not awake, if a judge could get up to hear the petition and I myself ran from courthouse to courthouse to file the appeal, there is no reason wardens will not comply with the judge’s decision ”

(YWN � Israel Desk, Jerusalem)