Blocking the Promotion of and Suspending Border Police Commander Benzy Sau

Petition filed in 4/01 on behalf of the Committee of the Martyrs' Families against Uzi Landau, the Minister of Internal Security and Shlomo Aharonishky, the Chief of Police, asking to freeze the promotion and suspend Border Police Commander Benzy Sau until the official Commission of Inquiry publishes its final conclusions. Based on his testimony before the Commission, the petitioners argued that Sau lacked even basic knowledge of the police open fire regulations, and that Sau violated the open fire regulations by using "snipers" to shoot at Arab citizen demonstrators in Umm al-Fahem. The petitioners also argued that Sau's testimony before the Commission was clearly contradicted by the testimonies of police under his command in a way that undermines his credibility.

Result: In 5/01, the Court dismissed the petition, summarily ruling that it would not intervene in the respondents' decision. In 2/02, Sau received a letter of warning from the official Commission of Inquiry.

(H.C. 3286/01, The Committee of the Victims' Families (October 2000) v. The Minister of Internal Security, et. al., decision delivered 31 May 2001)