Israeli prosecution filed an indictment, on Sunday, against a soldier of a paratrooper unit accusing him of abusing an Imam (Muslim Sheikh) from Dir Nizam village, near the West Bank city of Ramallah.
The Imam was handcuffed and driven 15 kilometers (about 9 miles) away from the village after the soldiers claimed that he spewed anti-Israeli remarks.
According to the Israeli laws, the officer if convicted could be imprisoned for one year.
“The officer handcuffed the Imam, placed him in an army jeep, and drove 15 kilometers from the village”, the indictment reads, “after driving the whole distance, the officer dropped the imam off and forced him to walk back home”.
Palestinian humanitarian organizations filed a complaint against the Israeli officers; the Israeli police initiated a probe into the events, which led to the indictment.
Israeli online daily, Ynetnews, reported that legal proceedings in the case will begin at the end of October, 2005.
The Israeli Supreme Court ruled recently that the “Human Shield” procedure used by the Israeli army is illegal, and violates the international law. The court also banned handcuffing the Palestinian residents in the territories during what was described as “dangerous operations”.
