Last update - 00:00 21/03/2007
Study: 129 complaints against Shin Bet have gone uninvestigated
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent
Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann revealed Tuesday statistics showing that 129 complaints have been filed against the Shin Bet since 2005, yet none have been looked into by the Police Investigations Department because of "lack of evidence."
Friedmann put together a staff of eight workers from his office to investigate a sample of the complaints and determine if they need to be transferred to the Police Investigations Department.
Friedmann made the announcement in response to a query submitted by MK Dov Khenin (Hadash), who maintains that it is impossible that in all the complaints filed, none are appropriate for investigation.
"Maybe not all of the complaints are justified, but on the surface these are serious complaints," Khenin said.
In 1999, the High Court of Justice limited the level of torture Shin Bet investigators could use. Some of the complaints against the investigators were filed by the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel.
Khenin maintains that investigators acted wildly against innocent people. "It is impossible that these crimes will remain without at least checking them," he said.