RAMALLAH, January 8, 2012 (WAFA) – An Israeli interrogator speaking at the trial of civil protester Bassem Tamimi on Sunday said his questioning of a minor to get confession from him that would convict Tamimi was a joke, according to a press release by the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee.
Police officer Jalal Aweida interrogated 14-year-old Islam Dar Ayyoub about Tamimi’s role in the weekly protests that take place the village of Nabi Saleh, near Ramallah, against the expansion of the settlement of Halamish on village land and water resources.
Tamimi, who was arrested in March, appeared at the Ofer military court, west of Ramallah, which was deliberating charges against him that he incited village kids to throw rocks at Israeli soldiers.
Israeli police officer Jalal Aweida told the court that trying to intimidate Dar Ayyoub during interrogation to coerce him to incriminate Tamimi was only a joke.
When asked by the prosecutor what can he say about the fact that Dar Ayyoub told the court “I was afraid of Jalal; he banged on the table and signaled with his hands, which scared me,” Aweida answered, “If I banged on the table it was not in order to intimidate him. I’m sure it was done as a joke and while considering his age.”
Aweida even laughed at the evidence shown by Tamimi's lawyer, Labib Habib, who presented the court with a recording of the interrogation showing the police officer pounding his fist into his hand in front of the boy’s face and minutes later making threatening karate-like gestures in front of him.
“It was a joke,” he replied. “I stand behind every word I said, it was a joke.”
During interrogation, Dar Ayyoub said Tamimi had told him to throw stones at the soldiers during the weekly protests and to block roads.
The trial will resume at a later date after the judge reviews the evidence.
Palestine News & Info Agency - WAFA
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