The Department of Internal Police Investigations closed a case against a police officer accused of beating activist Dov Morell after he asked the officer what his name was during a right-wing protest last year, Morell stated on Monday.
והנה הרגעים לפני שמורל חוטף את מכות האלה.כפי שתוכלו לראות - מורל תקף בצורה קשה את השוטר כאשר שאל אותו "סליחה, מה השם שלך?"השוטר השיב לשאלת מורל עם מכות אלה לגפיים. כנראה הגנה עצמית. pic.twitter.com/cxzQY7n5zL
— אבישי גרינצייג (@avishaigrinzaig) March 6, 2022
Video from the incident showed Morell following officers who were chasing and hitting protesters. At a certain point, Morell asked one of the officers hitting protesters "excuse me, what's your name?" and the officer responded by seemingly elbowing and hitting Morell with a baton.
"Do you remember when I asked a policeman for his details because he was without a badge and in response he battered me with a baton? It turns out that according to the police it is fine and the case is closed due to lack of guilt. I am not discouraged and when we receive the materials we will probably file an appeal and a civil lawsuit," posted Morrell on Monday.
The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI), which has been accompanying Morrell, condemned the decision by the Department of Internal Police Investigations stating that the decision served as "further proof of the hand-wringing and turning a blind eye of the police from handling complaints about police violence, and a green light for further police violence against protesters."
"Another case of police violence by a police officer against a protester has been closed - which has become commonplace. So many complaints, and so few investigations and indictments, [this is] a trend designed to loosen the hands of the public from standing up for their rights and dignity in the face of uniformed thugs who use unbridled violence," said the director-general of PCATI Tal Steiner.
It took more than a year for the department of internal investigations to even address the complaint that was forwarded to them, and only after repeated messages complaining about the long delay, did they decide to reach this unfortunate decision, which serves as a turning of their backs on the victims of police brutality, and a green light to continue to behave exactly like this. We will continue to stand by the victims of the violence, and to demand the correction of the system - until justice is done."
Morell added "In the days when police brutality flourishes with the encouragement of the national security minister, it is disappointing to see that the body responsible for enforcing the law on the police has failed in its duty. This is a clear and distinct case of disproportionate, illegal, and criminal violence. I hope that the prosecutor's office will correct the unfortunate mistake and accept the appeal that I intend to file."