The Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights reported that Khaled Barakat, his sons Feras and Ra’aft, and nephew Na’eem, were beaten and detained on 3 June because they supported Germany in the World Cup match against Argentina.
The family were returning home to Beit Safafa, south of Jerusalem, from Bethlehem, when an Israeli soldier stopped the car. The soldier cursed the men as "flies," beat them, sprayed gas in their faces, and took them to an Israeli police station where he charged them with resisting a soldier, the report said.
A police spokesman said the men compelled the soldiers, and others, to use force to control them.
Barakat told the Center the soldier stopped his car, accusing the family of not wearing seatbelts, and demanded to see ID cards. The soldier gave Barakat’s son Ra’fat a ticket. Na’eem asked that the ticket be issued quickly so they could get home to watch the football game.
Na’eem was listening to the match on the radio and cheered when Germany scored, his uncle explained. The soldier took the group’s cigarettes and crushed them with his foot, then sprayed tear gas on the passengers. Barakat said he asked the soldier why, and the soldier replied, “Because you support Germany.” The soldier then beat them with batons.
Barakat said they were then taken to Moria police station, and accused of attacking the soldier. He told the interrogator the soldier would have marks on his body if this were true.
The father was released late at night, while his sons and nephew were detained at the Russian compound until the next day, without a court hearing or bail. The soldier issued a ticket to Ra’fat and Feras at 4.50pm but changed the time on the ticket to 2am, Barakat said.
The family hired an Israeli lawyer and filed a complaint against the soldier at the Mahesh interrogation department the next day.
The Center’s research and documentation unit said the four residents sustained burns from the tear gas, the residue of which is still on their clothes, and are traumatized by the attack.
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