5/11/2014 Haaretz.

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Israel Police to drop charges against Daphni Leef, other social justice activists
Protest leader's lawyer: Attorney general did the right thing in ordering the police to withdraw the indictment, which should
never have been issued.
By Ilan Lior | 19:38 01.04.14 | 0
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein on Tuesday ordered the Israel Police to withdraw indictments against ten people, including leading activist
Daphni Leef, for minor crimes they allegedly committed at a social protest in the summer of 2012.
The Israel Police prosecutor, who issued the indictments, will also consider requests to delay proceedings from four other people arrested and
indicted for their roles in the protest on Tel Avivs Rothschild Boulevard on June 22, 2012. Delaying proceedings would effectively end the
cases. Criminal proceedings will continue against the 11 other people who were indicted. The social justice protests, which began in the summer
of 2011 and have fizzled out, focused on the cost of living and deteriorating social services.
Weinstein said the order does not reflect on the polices decision to issue the indictments a decision that was made after the prosecution
conducted a professional examination using uniform criteria and found it to be in the public interest to conduct proceedings, with a reasonable
chance of a conviction.
The Justice Ministry similarly said in a statement, The decision is also not intended as a statement regarding the performance of the police,
who did their duty faithfully according to their obligations, on the ground in real time. The prosecutions duty is to examine its policy and the
state of the evidence anew at any time, as the attorney general instructed that they do concerning these cases.
Leef was arrested and indicted 16 months ago for participating in riots, interfering with a police officer in the line of duty and resisting arrest by
force or threats. In an arbitration proceeding, the state offered Leef the option of confessing to the charges in the indictment and performing
community service in exchange for not being convicted. Leef refused, demanding a full acquittal. Several days after the evidential stage of the
trial began in late January, Weinstein froze the proceedings, saying he wanted to examine the social-justice protesters cases.
Leef, who had yet to be officially notified of Weinsteins decision, told Haaretz that she was relieved. Im still waiting to get the official
telephone call from my lawyer, because they did not mention a name, but today is a happy day. I think this week with the Holyland case and
also the announcement that free expression is not something the system can trample on so easily gives us hope that we do not have to give up
our inner integrity as citizens here and surrender and give in.
Leefs attorney, Gaby Lasky, said, The attorney general did a good thing when he ordered the police prosecutor to withdraw the indictment,
which should never have been issued in the first place. Withdrawal of the indictment means acquittal. The police and the law-enforcement
agencies need to understand that the essence of democracy is the option of using the right to free expression and demonstration even when the
content of the demonstration is not to the states taste.
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