Four Israeli police officers indicted for beating Palestinian
Four Israeli Border Police officers were indicted on Wednesday for allegedly assaulting a Palestinian resident of Jerusalem’s Shuafat refugee camp and then destroying evidence related to the incident.
The incident, which occurred in August 2023, drew public outrage when 22-year-old Arawa Shikh Ali appeared in court with severe facial injuries, including one resembling a Star of David.
Prosecutors allege that officers found a substance suspected to be cannabis during a drugs and weapons search of his home. According to the indictment, when Shikh Ali refused to cooperate, the officers restrained him in front of his wife and children and blindfolded him with a garbage bag. He was then moved to a different room where he was kicked, punched and slapped while his hands and feet were cuffed behind his back.
The indictment said these actions were unnecessary and unjustified.
Three of the officers are also accused of destroying evidence by deleting GoPro footage and cellphone photos documenting the incident.
Days after Shikh Ali’s arrest, a judge ordered him released to house arrest, citing concerns over police conduct. Judge Adi Bar-Tal criticized the officers for failing to provide Shikh Ali with a court-ordered medical examination and for detaining him at a police station for four days instead of transferring him to a proper detention facility.
Following his release, Shikh Ali filed a formal complaint, alleging that he was handcuffed and blindfolded throughout much of his detention, even though he was not suspected of security offences. He claimed that about 20 officers witnessed the assault, with five directly participating.
The indictment charges the officers with aggravated assault, causing serious bodily harm, and destruction of evidence.
The police investigations unit condemned the incident, saying, “A bound and helpless person was violently attacked by officers charged with maintaining public safety. Such actions erode public trust in law enforcement.”
