The Assistant Undersecretary of Legal Affairs at the Interior Ministry rejected the claims made during Friday sermon on attacking a woman by police.
In response to the Friday sermon of Isa Qassim that included misinformation about an attack of a lady in Aali, he said that the wanted person strongly resisted the police and hid behind the woman who intentionally blocked them. Police used pepper spray to overcome the resistance and minimize injury to all involved.
“This doesn’t mean that the woman was targeted for attack. Nor does it mean that police intentionally tarnished her honor. The police have a responsibility to respect the dignity of all, but they also have the right to use the amount of force necessary to overcome resistance when affecting an arrest,” he said. A police officer and two policemen were injured during the incident. The entire scenario was documented.
The Assistant Undersecretary said that one of the policemen in the pictures circulated on social media was summoned for questioning as is procedure when allegations of this sort come to light. He stated that the police faced resistance and were attacked during the arrest as is supported by medical reports.
The Assistant Undersecretary said that, contrary to allegations, the police possessed an arrest warrant from the public prosecutor. Anyone who alleges that were physically attacked in any form by police should report the incident to a police station, to the Ombudsman’s Office or the public prosecution.
The Assistant Undersecretary added that much of the information included in the sermons of Isa Qassim at his place of worship is based on false and inaccurate information. “This has happened more than once,” he affirmed.
Qassim’s previous allegations of police mistreatment of women include the case of a girl who alleged police had attacked her while medical reports later indicated that she had used an iron to burn her own hands. The Assistant Undersecretary added that believing unverified stories by Isa Qassim could incite lawbreaking activities.
The Assistant Undersecretary explained that the image released with this statement shows that police were arresting a wanted person and not attacking anyone’s honor.
He concluded by calling for people to obtain their information from reliable sources before passing it on to the public as fact, especially in places of worship where people expect to hear true and accurate information. He urged all people to support national interests and to resist division and incitement.