Dismissal of Rahat Municipality Engineer After Hours of Interrogation and Widespread Condemnation of His Detention

SadaNews - The engineer of Rahat Municipality, Ibrahim Abu Suhiban, was released last night, Tuesday, after about six hours of interrogation with the "Yoav" unit specialized in implementing demolition orders in the Negev region, southern Israel, following his detention in the morning from his office amid allegations related to his performance of his duties.

Rahat Municipality clarified in a statement that the engineer was detained from inside his office before being taken for interrogation, expressing its astonishment at the method of handling, and emphasizing that addressing any professional or administrative notes should be done through the official institutional channels, in a manner that preserves the dignity of the employee and maintains his status, away from procedures that may disrupt work or cause turmoil within the institution.

The municipality stressed that its engineer performs his duties with responsibility and professionalism in service of the city and its residents, and that it is closely following the case, prioritizing the protection of its employees and upholding their dignity within the framework of recognized legal norms.

For its part, the popular committee in Rahat condemned the arrest of the municipality engineer, describing the allegations against him as "invalid and unjust," noting that he was taken to the "Yoav" police station under the pretext of not issuing data or demolition orders.

The committee confirmed that any professional or legal observations could be addressed through official channels, without resorting to arrest from the workplace and the accompanying affront to dignity, considering this step to represent a reprehensible behavior, especially when it concerns a responsible person performing his duties within his town and among his community members.

The municipality and the popular committee called for a professional and responsible approach to local authority institutions and their employees, which enhances mutual trust and establishes joint work for the benefit of the city and its residents.

The Central Parents Committee in Rahat also issued a statement yesterday condemning "the police, represented by the "Yoav" unit, for detaining the Rahat municipality engineer, Haj Ibrahim Abu Suhiban, from his office and interrogating him for six hours before releasing him".

The committee, in its statement signed by its head Khaled Al-Tlalqa, considered that "this procedure constitutes a violation of the dignity of the municipality and its employees," confirming the "necessity of addressing any observations through the official institutional frameworks in place."

It reaffirmed that "the responsibility of the state lies in providing organized land vouchers and fair structural plans before enforcing the law," and that "the law cannot be applied without empowering citizens with fair housing solutions."

The committee concluded its statement by "demanding the mayor and members of the municipality and the legal advisor to examine the possibility of taking urgent legal action regarding what happened and to put an end to practices that undermine the dignity of local governance institutions."