Key facts
- Saber Amitel, a 21-year-old Bedouin Israeli man, died in hospital on June 20.
- His family and lawyers allege he showed signs of severe bruising and torture.
- Amitel was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of arms smuggling and held by the Shin Bet.
- His family and legal team were denied access to him for a period after his arrest.
- Police initially suggested Amitel attempted suicide, a claim his family rejects.
- Lawyers have filed a petition demanding an inquiry into the circumstances of his death.
A 21-year-old Bedouin Israeli man, Saber Amitel, died in hospital on June 20 after being found unconscious in his cell at Shikma prison, where he was held by the Shin Bet on suspicion of arms smuggling. His family and legal team allege that he sustained severe bruising and showed signs of torture, rejecting police claims that he attempted suicide.
According to reports, Amitel was arrested earlier this month and initially denied access to legal counsel. His family stated they searched for him for two days before being informed of his arrest. When his lawyers were eventually permitted to visit him at Barzilai Hospital on June 8, they observed significant bruising on his body. His father, Odeh Amitel, described his son as being in a vegetative state upon their visit and stated that medical staff indicated he arrived in that condition. He vehemently denied the possibility of suicide, asserting his son had no criminal record and was a good, quiet person.
Amitel's lawyers have filed a petition with the Beersheba District Court demanding an inquiry into the circumstances of his death, naming the Israel Prison Service, Shin Bet, police, and the hospital as respondents. They are seeking CCTV footage and relevant documents from the prison. The Shin Bet stated that Amitel was interrogated in accordance with the law and that on June 7, he was found to have attempted suicide in his cell, leading to his transfer to the hospital. The Israel Prison Service declined to comment on specific details of the detainee's case.