Last week, the Haifa Magistrate’s Court convicted former police officer Liyor Hatam for assaulting Jafar Farah, the founder and director of the Mossawa Center, inside the Haifa police station on May 18, 2018 - an incident that resulted in Farah suffering a broken leg. This verdict comes seven long years after the dangerous events unfolded in Haifa.
At the time of the incident, the police-under the leadership of Chief Inspector Roni Sheikh - denied that any assault had taken place, going so far as to shift the blame onto Farah himself. In one interview, the Chief Inspector even remarked, “What, did you not see someone walking with a broken leg?” Meanwhile, the Minister of Internal Security denied allegations that detainees were beaten inside the station. Adding insult to injury, the commander of the Haifa Police Station supported the accused officer and even visited him at his home after the incident.
The assault occurred on a night marked by tension following a protest against a military operation in Gaza - a demonstration in which Farah participated. Other protesters later complained that they had been beaten in the meeting room of the station, although the court ultimately did not convict Officer Hatam for assaulting these additional complainants. Hundreds of people, including Jewish demonstrators, had taken to the streets. However, the police commander declared the protest illegal, ordered its dispersal, and arrested 21 demonstrators that night.
During the same night, the driver of one of the police vehicles tasked with transporting detainees - including Farah’s son and his nephew - drove recklessly. The ensuing traffic accident near the police station injured several officers, who were subsequently treated, while the injured detainees were taken to the briefing room inside the station. When Farah arrived and saw the detainees bleeding, he protested the mistreatment. In response, Officer Hatam attempted to silence him by force. Only after Farah’s determined protest did the police begin transferring the wounded to the hospital.
Farah sustained a broken leg and was treated at Bnei Zion Hospital. Yet, in a further affront to justice, he was transferred at midnight to the Gilboa-Kishon detention center. More than five hours later - contrary to legal procedures - the 21 detainees were presented before a judge, who ordered their release.
Further darkening this case is the fact that Officer Hatam had a documented history of violence against his wife even before the assault on Farah and the other detainees. Although he admitted to lesser charges in the indictment, the judge imposed only a suspended sentence - a decision that has sparked widespread criticism and underscored systemic leniency towards abusive officers.
Some key excerpts from the conviction protocol include:
The judge noted: “The accused’s behavior throughout the trial was untrustworthy and riddled with contradictions.” He also highlighted discrepancies in the officer’s report - written on the night of the incident at 22:21 yet not signed until the following day at 18:39 - raising further questions about the report’s credibility.
The decision also stated: “Evidence indicates that the accused only amended his report after his superiors requested him to do so, following the news that Jafar Farah had filed a complaint against him.” This assertion was corroborated by the testimony of the police station commander and by communications between the accused and a policewoman named Denit. The judge concluded by adding, “The accused chose not to complete the report during the same shift, presumably so that he could later adjust it to suit his narrative.”
It is particularly troubling that the Police Internal Investigations Unit, which was investigating the violent behavior Hatam exhibited toward his wife, did not file charges against him until after the assault on Farah and the detainees. Evidence presented in court revealed that Hatam continued to serve as a police officer even while under investigation for domestic violence. In one of the internal correspondences, Hatam stated that although he was assigned to guard the detainees, he “celebrated them” in his own disturbing manner.
Commenting on the verdict, Jafar Farah, Director of the Mossawa Center, said:
The trial took seven years of pain and defamation emanating from the Haifa Police Station before this conviction was achieved. Corruption within the station ran deep - from the Chief Inspector to the station commander, who defended a violent officer despite his abuse of his wife. I hope that this verdict marks a turning point in how the police and their leadership deal with protesters and suspects. They mistreated ordinary people, treating them as if they were part of a celebration of violence in the briefing room. Although media coverage helped substantiate my claims, it is regrettable that the court did not also convict him of assaulting the other complainants.
This case is not an isolated incident but rather emblematic of a broader pattern of state-sanctioned impunity and repression. Palestinian civil society organizations and activists, like those at the Mossawa Center, are on the front lines of advocating for human rights and justice. Yet they are regularly targeted, harassed, and defamed by state institutions. The injustice meted out to Jafar Farah and the demonstrators is reflective of an entrenched system where misconduct by law enforcement is often overlooked or inadequately punished.
For years, Palestinian activists have faced not only physical violence but also bureaucratic obstruction, legal persecution, and a systematic campaign to delegitimize their work. The events of May 18, 2018 - and the seven-year-long struggle to obtain justice - highlight the urgent need for comprehensive reforms in both the security apparatus and the judicial system. Until real accountability is achieved, civil society organizations and their courageous advocates will continue to be vulnerable targets in a system that frequently prioritizes the protection of state interests over the rights and dignity of its Palestinian citizens.
