3 Border policemen indicted over beating of Palestinians

The Police Investigation Department on Sunday indicted three Border Policemen over suspicions of assaulting and beating Palestinians under severe circumstances in two separate incidents.

According to the indictment, a Palestinian taxi carrying passengers arrived on January 25 at the "Container" roadblock near the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Abu Dis. Border Policeman Moshe Zuaretz, 21, allegedly went up to the taxi and punched the driver's face, saying the driver had honked.

The driver then came out of the vehicle, when a second policeman, Ro'i Ragiano, 25, allegedly kicked him and punched him in the stomach. The driver sustained bruises to his face and body.

The two policemen then conducted a thorough search in the cab and threatened the taxi driver that if he crossed through the roadblock again they would "smash his face."

Beating of handcuffed PalestinianZuaretz was involved in a second violent incident two months later. According to the indictment, he and another Border Policeman, Nicolai Srokin, 19, assaulted a blindfolded, handcuffed Palestinian.

Muntazar Ramdan was brought shackled to a Border Police base. Srokin, who was guarding the entrance, was instructed to guard the arrested man. He and Zuaretz allegedly beat the Palestinian. According to the indictment, other policemen joined the two but Ramdan was unable to identify them.