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Police deny branding Palestinian drug suspect with Star of David under eye

Police suggest the facial markings on the detainee might have been caused by an officer’s boot.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel Police on Saturday rejected claims of excessive force and branding a Palestinian with a Star of David during an arrest in eastern Jerusalem, suggesting the facial markings on the detainee might have been caused by an officer’s boot.

The man in question, a resident of the Shuafat refugee camp, was detained on Wednesday following a raid on his residence, under suspicions of drug possession for distribution purposes.

During a subsequent remand hearing at the Jerusalem Magistrate’s court, the defense attorney for the suspect asserted that 16 police officers blindfolded and physically assaulted him, resulting in numerous bruises and facial marks that appeared reminiscent of a Star of David.

The attorney said that the nature of his injuries highlights it as “racially motivated.”

Israeli media reported that none of the officers involved had their body cameras operational during the incident.

Following these claims, the overseeing judge ordered the case be examined by the Justice Ministry’s Police Internal Investigations Department (PIID). Meanwhile, the suspect’s detention has been extended until Sunday.

Police said in a statement that media reports on the incident were “biased and distorted”. The statement refuted any racial motives behind the officers’ conduct, indicating that the detainee had resisted arrest violently and that in return, officers had deployed “reasonable force”. The statement further said that the triangular bruise on the suspect’s face could have been caused by an officer’s apparel.

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Police also released a photograph of an officer’s boot with the statement, insinuating that the markings on the detainee’s face might have been a result of the boot making contact.

The statement affirmed that all relevant details will be forwarded to the PIID for an exhaustive review and maintained that any improprieties by law enforcement should be “investigated by the relevant authorities.”