Police questioned and searched the apartment of a social justice activist in Jerusalem despite a so-called “ban” that Public Security Ministry issued on such police tactics, activists said Wednesday.
Vicki Vanunu, a public housing rights activist and single mother, received a summons by phone to appear for questioning by the Jerusalem police. “She was asked about a local protest planned for tomorrow, and accused of illegal activity,” a statement by “Ma’abara” social justice activists organization said on Wednesday. “Officers said they wanted to arrive at her home and carry out a search without a warrant.” “We view with severity the police’s attempt to torpedo the democratic rights of local activists to protest against ongoing discrimination against them,” the activists said.
Vicki Vanunu (Photo: Ma’abara)
Vanunu permitted police to search her home “to prove her innocence,” the statement said, adding that police, who were searching for torches they believed would be used in Thursday’s rally, found nothing incriminating. Police said that Vanunu was planning a public housing protest tonight (Thursday) without a “proper permit”.
“In a democratic state, police do not investigate protesters for planning a demonstration, and certainly does not ask to search their houses in order to locate materials used for demonstrations,” said Laila Margalit, an attorney for the Association of Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI). According to ACRI “the decision to summon activists is wrongful, severely harms freedom of expression, and deters activists from engaging in protest. If the police wish to receive information in order to adequately prepare for the summer protest, they can try and schedule work meetings with protest organizers, but they have no authority to do so by summoning them for an interrogation”.
Related:
http://www.acri.org.il/en/2012/06/13/protesters-summoned-by-police/
