The State of Israel is expected to file an indictment against journalist Said Hassanin for offenses of supporting terrorism due to an interview he gave to a Hamas channel, as declared today (March 9), by the prosecution.
Hassanin, an editor at the Nas Radio and announcer for the Bnei Sakhnin soccer team, was arrested about two weeks ago (February 25) following an interview he gave to Hamas's Al-Aqsa channel. Police suspected Hassanin of contact with a foreign agent, publishing praise, sympathy or encouragement for acts of terrorism, identification with a terrorist organization and incitement to terrorism, as well as public identification with a terrorist organization. Later, suspicions of destroying evidence and obstruction of justice were added.
Following the arrest, Hassanin was fired from his job at Nas Radio and his contract with the Bnei Sakhnin team was terminated. Hassanin's detention has been repeatedly extended, and his attorney claimed that the police are using detention as a punitive measure against him and that there is no real reason for the repeated extensions of the detention.
In the interview with Al-Aqsa, Hasanin said, according to a report in Haaretz, that "the Islamic resistance acted with complete humanity in accordance with Islamic law and proved to the world that Hamas preserves human dignity and respects the women who were taken captive on October 7. Hamas protected them according to religious teachings, Islamic law, and Palestinian conscience."
He also said that the hostage Omer Shem Tov kissed the head of one of the terrorists on stage in Gaza "to prove that they treated him humanely and with respect." According to Hassanin, "Shem Tov respects them as human beings and acknowledges that the female hostages were not harmed. There is a crucial distinction here between those who are barbaric and cruel and those who act humanely according to their doctrine, laws, and Islamic religious principles."
Regarding Palestinian citizens of Israel who enlist in the army, he said: "There are weak-minded individuals who join the army's ranks and serve the enemy's army. Hamas wanted to tell the Palestinians of Historical Palestine called Israeli Arabs, that they do not want them to join the enemy's army, the occupation army, and it's time for anyone who has become weak-minded or is just thinking about joining the occupation army to think a million times about where they're going, how they're selling their conscience, their morals, and their religion on this immoral, irreligious, and non-national path."
"There is grounds for dangerousness"
Since February 25, Hassanin's detention has already been extended three times, and today a request was submitted for a fourth extension of five days, ahead of filing an indictment against him. His attorney, Alaa Mahajna, opposed the extension of the detention, arguing that there is no substantive grounds for continued detention.
"It is clear that there is no danger posed by the suspect not being behind bars. An indictment can be filed against him and the trial can be conducted while he is outside the detention facility," he said. Attorney Mahajna requested to release Hassanin to house arrest with restrictive conditions while the prosecution prepares the indictment. "This is not a case that should be conducted while the suspect is in detention," he argued.
Judge Ziad Saleh was not convinced. "There are indeed grounds for dangerousness," he ruled, "given these turbulent days, in which various terrorist organizations are acting against the state and seeking its harm, perhaps even its destruction."
Since according to the judge "there is still a need to receive approvals from levels in the prosecution authorities, and there are up to two actions that can be defined as technical in order to complete the investigation," he decided to extend the detention by three days.
