Espionage defendant claims he was denied food for 36 hours - judge: 'Detainees must be treated humanely'

A reserve soldier accused of spying for Iran claimed in the Tel Aviv District Court that he was denied food for 36 hours and was not allowed to put on tefillin. Judge Maor ordered the Israel Prison Service to examine the complaints, emphasizing that authorities must treat detainees humanely and preserve their dignity, and that detention is not a punishment.

A reserve soldier accused of spying for Iran raised serious complaints about his detention conditions in the Tel Aviv District Court, including that he was denied food for 36 hours and was not allowed to put on tefillin that day. Judge Maor, who addressed the claims, noted that this is not the first time the defendant has raised such complaints, and that he had previously requested the response of the Israel Prison Service (IPS), from which he learned that they had no knowledge or complaints from him. Nevertheless, the judge ruled that the complaints justify an initial examination, and ordered the IPS to investigate them and submit a notice to the court within 7 days. In his remarks, the judge emphasized the duty to treat detainees humanely, preserve their dignity and body, and that detention is not a punishment and cannot serve as a means of punishment, humiliation, or violence. He added that harming a detainee's dignity harms the moral and ethical image of society as a whole and the character of the state as Jewish and democratic. The judge also ordered the IPS to allow the defendant to put on tefillin.

Espionage defendant claims he was denied food for 36 hours - judge: 'Detainees must be treated humanely'