12 prison service personnel charged in death of security prisoner
Twelve Israel Prison Service personnel have been indicted for reckless homicide in the death of security prisoner Thaer Abu Asab and for assaulting eight additional prisoners at Ketziot Prison. The indictment alleges that a shift commander ordered guards to enter a cell during a count to demonstrate there was no ceasefire, leading to the incident in November 2023.
Why it matters
This case raises serious questions about the conduct of prison authorities, the treatment of security prisoners, and accountability within the justice system, particularly in a conflict-affected region.
The State Attorney’s Office filed an indictment with the Beersheba District Court against 12 Israel Prison Service personnel, charging them with reckless homicide in the death of security prisoner Thaer Abu Asab and with assaulting eight additional prisoners at Ketziot Prison.
According to the indictment, in November 2023, Walid Khatib served as the shift commander in the compound where the prisoners were being held and was responsible for counting them, while the other defendants served as prison guards, members of the Keter Unit, and a dog handler. At the time, Thaer Abu Asab was being held as a security prisoner in Compound C, Wing 24, together with eight other prisoners.
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