DIP decided: investigation of Sharki's attackers will close

Almost a year after police attacked reporter Yair Sharki while covering a demonstration, the PID announced that the case was closed "for lack of guilt".

In the month of Shvat 5774 (last year) during a demonstration held in Jerusalem on Shmuel Hanavi junction, in protest of the closing at night of Harav Ovadia Yosef's grave, Yair Sharki was violently attacked by police. Sharki was then a reporter for Army Radio, and today is he Channel 2 news reporter.

A witness who was present told Behadrey Haredim, that Sharki tried to interview a woman who attended the demonstration and also demonstrated: "A policeman came up to Sharki and asked him to leave, he told him he is an Army Radio journalist and doing an interview, but the policeman did not accede to him, and violently attacked him and kicked him from the waist down."

Today, nearly a year later, Sharki received a letter from the Department of Investigation of Police, informing him that "with the conclusion of the investigation, and after examining the evidence and all the circumstances relevant to this case, we decided to close the case for lack of guilt".

The letter made it clear "that the analysis of the evidence and the different versions that emerge from the investigation material, the weight of all this, and examination of all the circumstances of the case, did not actually establish a reasonable suspicion against the suspects in relation to the accusation against whom you complained."

In response, Sharki wrote in his Facebook page: "So it looked almost a year ago, when police attacked me when I covered a demonstration at the grave of Harav Ovadia. I do not like these pictures, not looking for personal revenge, and certainly do not want to whine, but when I received this letter today from IDP, announcing the closing of the investigation for lack of guilt (!) I looked at the pictures again and I could not figure out what else one needs so that violent policemen will be brought to trial here."

Sharki makes critical remarks on the closing of the file and adds: "If this is what happens with a case which after all received some publicity, imagine how easily it happens in 93% of the cases which are closed each year, most of them even without an investigation."

The decision to close the case may be appealed within 30 days. Sharki has not yet decided whether to appeal.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!