JERUSALEM // The US government said it was “profoundly troubled” by reports that an American teenager detained in Israel was “severely beaten” while in police custody and called for a speedy and transparent investigation into the incident.
The parents of Tariq, a 15-year-old cousin of Mohammed Abu Khder, a Palestinian youth murdered on Wednesday, said that their son was arrested in Shuafat after being beaten by police during riots in East Jerusalem on Thursday.
An Israeli judge on Sunday released Tariq from jail and placed him under house arrest.
A lawyer for Tariq, a Florida high school student who was visiting family in East Jerusalem, said the youngster would be restricted to a relative’s home for nine days.
A video clip circulated on the Internet on Saturday showed two Israeli border policemen holding down and repeatedly pummelling a masked youth before carrying him away.
A later part of the video shows Tariq’s face with a heavy black eye and swollen lip.
On Saturday, US state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki confirmed that Tariq was being held by Israeli authorities and said a consular officer had visited him. A judge on Friday had ordered him held in custody until a hearing on Sunday.
“We are profoundly troubled by reports that he was severely beaten while in police custody and strongly condemn any excessive use of force. We are calling for a speedy, transparent and credible investigation and full accountability for any excessive use of force,” Ms Psaki said.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said Tariq was one of six protesters caught and detained on Thursday during clashes with police. Tariq’s mother said her son was watching the protest and had not taken part.
She said the family was planning to return to the United States on July 16.
Israel’s justice ministry said the police internal affairs department had opened an investigation into allegations he had been beaten.
* Agence France-Press and Reuters
