Appeal to State Attorney: Demand to Indict Police Officers Who Conducted Strip Search of Protester in Tel Aviv
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel filed an appeal to the State Attorney demanding the indictment of police officers who conducted a strip search of protester Itamar Greenberg in Tel Aviv. This follows the closure of the case by the Police Internal Investigations Department (Mahash) in June. The association claims the search was conducted illegally and that prosecution in such cases is a public interest.
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel filed an appeal to the State Attorney, demanding the indictment of police officers who conducted a strip search of a protester in Tel Aviv. The appeal was filed after the Police Internal Investigations Department (Mahash) closed the investigation file concerning Itamar Greenberg, who was arrested on March 3 during a protest at Habima Square against the war in Iran. According to the association, Greenberg, who was 19 at the time, was required to stand for several minutes in his underwear, pull them down to his knees, turn around, and crouch. When he protested, he was told that if he refused, an officer would remove his underwear by force. It was also claimed that the search was conducted in a room with internal windows that allowed viewing, and that he was not given a search report. Mahash closed the case in June on the grounds that there was no basis for a reasonable suspicion of a criminal offense. The association argues that the law does not allow a full strip search as a matter of routine, but only when there is a reasonable basis for suspicion. The appeal emphasizes that prosecuting police officers in cases of illegal searches is a public interest, and that the police must clarify the limits of authority to its officers.