MIDEAST-ISRAEL/ARREST Israeli border policeman arrested over Palestinian teen's death

Record ID: 398776

  • Title: MIDEAST-ISRAEL/ARREST Israeli border policeman arrested over Palestinian teen's death
  • Date: 12th November 2014
  • Summary: JERUSALEM (NOVEMBER 12, 2014) (REUTERS) **** WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **** EXTERIOR OF THE MAGISTRATE COURT SIGN READING IN ARABIC AND HEBREW 'MAGISTRATE COURT' ISRAELI POLICEMAN ACCUSED OF SHOOTING LIVE BULLETS AT TWO PALESTINIAN YOUTH, ARRIVING IN COURT LAWYER BENNY KATZ SPEAKING TO REPORTERS CAMERAMEN (SOUNDBITE) (English) LAWYER, BENNY KATZ, SAYING: "He insis
  • Embargoed: 27th November 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: West bank
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAA4CP8WY28L0P5010TY3MZ8ZV3
  • Story Text: Israeli police arrested a paramilitary border policeman over a fatal shooting of Palestinian youths in the occupied West Bank in May 2014, police spokesman said on Wednesday (November 12).
    Nadim Nuwara, 17, and Muhammad Abu Thahr, 16, were killed during a May 15 demonstration in which Palestinians hurled stones at Israeli forces.
    Video from security cameras suggested they were shot despite posing no immediate threat to the troops.
    Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the border policeman was arrested in connection with Nuwara's death, but not Abu Thahr's, because an autopsy was only carried out on Nuwara's body.
    All other details of the investigation were under a gag order, he added.
    At a remand hearing in a Jerusalem court on Wednesday, Benny Katz, the suspect's attorney, told reporters his client insisted he only fired rubber bullets during the protest and denied using live ammunition.
    "He insists that he didn't shoot the bullet. We don't think there is enough evidence but that's something we have to examine and get to maybe later on," he said.
    "Reclaim again and again that only shooting he did, was rubber bullets and no more than that," Katz added.
    At the time of shooting, Palestinian medics said the two teens were killed by live bullets.
    The Israeli military have said its forces had fired only rubber bullets that day and that border police had also been present at the scene.
    In June, the Palestinian attorney-general said an autopsy, requested by Nuwara's family, showed the youth was killed by live fire. U.S., Danish and Israeli pathologists were also present at the autopsy.
    Footage from the security cameras installed on Palestinian properties near the site of the demonstration showed each of the youths, about an hour apart according to the time stamp, walking at some distance from the protest and then falling to the ground, apparently shot.
    "I believe there is law in Israel, but the question is whether they will apply it for a Palestinian the same way they would for an Israeli. If they prove they are law-abiding that means Israel is a country that respects the law. I believe that some Israelis want peace and others are extremists. I hope that my son's case will be handled by the law-abiding citizens to protect justice," said Siam Nuwara, the teen's father.
    The protest took place outside Israel's Ofer Prison near the Palestinian town of Beitunia.


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