The Israeli Supreme Court, on Thursday, refused an appeal to allow a Palestinian doctor a role in the autopsy of Abdul Fattah al-Sharif, who was executed in cold blood by an Israeli soldier on March 24, in Hebron.
According to Ahmad Safiya, lawyer of the Palestinian Prisoners Society, Al-Sharif’s family appealed that a Palestinian doctor should take part in the autopsy.
However, Israeli authorities only agreed to allow a Palestinian doctor inside the room while the autopsy was conducted, and only to observe and to take notes; no real participation in the autopsy by a Palestinian doctor will be allowed, Safiya stated.
Safiya added, according to the PNN, that the court ordered he be informed of the autopsy date beforehand, so that he can get entry permission for the Palestinian doctor.
Israeli prosecution informed him that the autopsy will be conducted next Sunday.
Palestinian families who have had a family member ckilled say that they do not trust investigations by Israeli forces or the ability of Israeli authorities to conduct unbiased autopsies of Palestinians slain by the military.
For that reason, on December of last year, family members of slain Palestinians published a letter officially refusing Israel’s terms of release, with regard to the remains of dozens of bodies belonging to Palestinians who were killed during alleged attacks against Israeli soldiers and settlers.
The letter, which was published on social media, asserted the “natural and legal right” of the families to be granted the remains of their loved ones and bury their dead in an appropriate religious and cultural manner.
In addition, the signatories pointed out that each family should be allotted time to request an official autopsy on their dead, particularly due to rumors that Israeli authorities have been removing certain organs before releasing remains.
Autopsy reports are also used in official paperwork necessary to file cases against Israeli authorities at the International Criminal Court.
Also of interest: Israeli Organ Trafficker Apprehended in Turkey
