Minister says claim cop broke activist’s knee while in custody must be probed

The minister in charge of police operations said Sunday the Justice Ministry must “swiftly” probe how an arrested activist ended up with a broken knee, after the man alleged he was assaulted while in police custody.

Jafar Farah told the Haifa Magistrate’s Court that an officer “pushed down on my leg with all his strength,” after he asked a question while being detained in a holding facility Friday night.

Erdan told Army Radio Monday morning that if an officer had behaved violently towards a detainee, “his place is not in the police.”

Farah, the head of an Arab rights group, was arrested with 20 other people during a Gaza solidarity rally over the weekend that has since sparked accusations of police violence. He sustained a broken knee and has since been hospitalized at the Bnei Zion Medical Center.

Police said he and the others were “violating public order” during the demonstration.

Earlier Sunday, the Justice Ministry’s police internal investigations department said it was opening a preliminary investigation into police conduct, including Farah’s injury. Investigators from the department, which is independent of the police, will ask police for relevant material, and then decide whether to open a formal investigation into the incident.

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan wrote on Twitter that he “expected the internal investigations division to swiftly check/probe the cause behind Jafar Farah’s injuries and his claims.”

“We need to urgently find out if excessive force was used contrary to the law. Only an objective outside body can determine that, and that is the process being enacted now,” he wrote.

During an arraignment hearing, Farah told the court Sunday that he had not been among those protesting Gaza violence, but was in the area to check on his son, who was among the demonstrators.

“When I arrived I saw the area was surrounded by riot police. I asked an officer if I could leave. He told me ‘nobody is leaving.’ I saw my son and nephew were arrested. I again tried to leave and the police did not let me,” he told the court, according to the Mako news website. “I was arrested at that point. I waited cuffed for 20 minutes until a cruiser was located to transport me away and I was put in a cell with 20 other people. I asked, what’s going on with my son, and the cop smashed my foot with all his strength and brought me to the ground.”

Police said that all of Friday’s arrests were “carried out lawfully and in accordance with procedures,” but have not offered an explanation for Farah’s injury.

Footage of his arrest the day prior shows Farah being led away in handcuffs and walking on his own.

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The arrests have sparked anger in the mixed city and accusations of police brutality among against Muslims. Several lawmakers have called for an inquiry into the incident.

Zionist Union MK Merav Michaeli condemned the police’s handling of the incident, calling Farah “a partner in the struggle for equality and peace.”

In a tweet, the opposition lawmaker said his treatment at the hands of police was “frightening,” and said she would demand an explanation from Erdan next week.

Yael Cohen Paran, another Zionist Union MK, said she had known Farah for years as someone who always chose non-violence, and called on Erdan to make good on his promise of an investigation.

The incident “raises difficult questions about police conduct during the protests,” she wrote on Twitter.

Some 200 people protested the arrests in separate locations in Haifa Sunday evening, along Ben Gurion Boulevard, downtown and outside the city’s Magistrate’s court, waving Palestinian flags and calling to free the jailed protesters.

Among those protesting was MK Ayman Odeh, head of the Joint List party, who slammed law enforcement for “suppressing the demonstration without giving an explanation.”

Erdan wrote on Twitter that he had asked Attorney general Avichai Mandelblit to open a criminal investigation into Odeh for interfering with a police officer carrying out his duties, insulting a public official, violating a legal order and making threats.

On Saturday, Odeh was caught on camera calling a police officer at the hospital were Farah was being treated a “zero,” after he was denied entry.