Sami Jasus, shot by police, remains unburied: "They continue to treat him as a terrorist"
The family of a 28-year-old Lod resident, who suffered from mental health issues and was shot by a YASAM officer, has petitioned the Supreme Court for the release of his body. While police initially blocked a demonstration supporting the family, they retracted the decision following legal action. The body has been held at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute for a month.
Sami Jasus, 28, from Lod, was shot to death earlier this month by a YASAM officer. His body is still being held at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute. Today, the police retracted their opposition, and the "Makom Le-Kulanu" (A Place for All of Us) party will hold a demonstration for the return of Jasus's body this coming Sunday at 17:00 at the municipal stadium in Lod.
The party had previously filed a petition to the Supreme Court against the police, who had banned the demonstration by defining it as "support for terrorist activity." Following the petition, the police reversed their decision. Party chairman Alon-Lee Green stated: "We will not stop standing by the Jasus family until his body is returned and brought to burial."
Jasus, who struggled with mental health issues, was shot by a YASAM officer who suspected he was planning a terror attack. His family is pleading for the release of his body to begin mourning. His sister, Nadin Suweis, told Ynet: "We are begging to bring my brother to burial. His body has been in the refrigerator in Abu Kabir for a month. It is clear he struggled with mental health; had he received treatment, he would be alive today. They continue to treat him as a terrorist even in death, which is mentally exhausting for our parents. We are a decent family, and these accusations are baseless."
Nadin noted that her father has been waiting daily to lay Sami to rest. The family is awaiting a response from the State Attorney's Office regarding their Supreme Court petition. In a preliminary response, the State Attorney's Office indicated that the military might consider holding the body if it is determined that the deceased was involved in terrorism, under Regulation 133 of the Defense Regulations. Meanwhile, the Department of Internal Police Investigations (DPI) is still investigating the shooting.
On July 1, police initially reported the neutralization of a "terrorist" in Lod, but an hour later announced that all possibilities were being investigated, including non-nationalistic motives. According to the police report, officers identified a suspect with a knife and ordered him to stop. He allegedly lunged at a YASAM team, prompting the officer to open fire.
