The Justice Ministry's Police Investigations Department filed an indictment against three Border Policemen last week for allegedly abusing a Palestinian who was working illegally in Jerusalem's Old City.

According to the indictment, policemen Eliran Levy, Moshe Yekutiel and Almit Asrasa arrested Abed Tareq Akhroub, 18, and then beat him and forced him to kiss the Border Police insignia on one of their uniforms.

The incident took place in December 2005, while the three defendants were doing their compulsory military service in the Border Police.

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During a patrol of the Old City, they spotted Akhroub manning a market stall. They requested his identity card and discovered that he was working in Israel illegally, and thus ordered him to accompany them.

They then took him to a nearby deserted alley and ordered him to stand with his face to the wall.

As he was turning around, the indictment said, one policeman grabbed him by the neck and all three began kicking his legs.

One then backed away to get a running start and kicked him with great force in the chest; another punched him the face.

At one point, the indictment continued, they ordered him to remove his belt and shoes; one policeman then took the belt and hit Akhroub on the back with the buckle.

One of the policemen also ordered him to lift his shirt, whereupon he began squeezing Akhroub's nipples with great force.

All three then continued hitting him in the face and chest, and finished off by ordering him to kiss the Border Police insignia on one policeman's uniform.

They then returned some of the belongings that they had earlier forced him to remove from his backpack, but refused to return his birth certificate, the indictment said.

After the policemen released him, Akhroub obtained medical treatment at a nearby clinic. He later filed a complaint against his tormentors, leading to the investigation and subsequent indictment.

The policemen are being charged with assault and battery, abusing their powers and violating the victim's rights.