Family of slain autistic Palestinian demand probe after Israel claims no footage of killing

The family of an unarmed autistic Palestinian man shot dead by Israeli police have called for a probe into an alleged absence of footage in a heavily monitored part of Jerusalem where the man was killed, media reported on Tuesday.

Last month, Iyad Hallak, a 32-year-old East Jerusalem man with severe autism, was on his way to a special needs class when Israeli border forces chased and shot him dead, saying they believed a toy he was carrying was a gun.

After the officers followed Hallak into a garbage room in Jerusalem's Old City, they fired several fatal shots at the frightened man as he was lay on the floor.

His family called on Israeli officials to release the film from a camera installed in the garbage room where the disabled man was shot dead, saying that footage was being kept hidden.

The Israeli justice ministry's Police Internal Investigations Department said Monday that Hallak's parents and their lawyers met with investigators for an update on their son's case, according to The Times of Israel.

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During the meeting, Hallak's parents were told that all relevant security footage was gathered immediately after the incident but claimed that cameras inside the garbage room were not working at the time.

The Palestinian man's family subsequently called for a probe into the absence of footage of his killing.

Hallak's father Khairi told Haaretz that the family "did not understand anything" from the meeting.

"We were told there were cameras but they did not work," he said. "Every passing day we feel worse than the day before. We haven't left the house in 40 days. You cannot imagine how hard it is."

The family's attorney told Haaretz they are "very surprised" that there is no footage from the garbage room.

"Our request is to open a very in-depth investigation into whether evidence has been concealed," he said. "Because it is not possible that cameras were placed there and yet there is no documentation. We have a very strong suspicion that [the police] are concealing evidence in this case."

In its statement, the Police Internal Investigations Department said the investigation is in "very advanced stages" and upon completion will be passed to prosecutors who will decide whether the officers involved will be charged.

Haaretz found that there are at least ten private and security cameras in the 150 metres between the Old City's Lions Gate - where Israeli police began chasing Hallak - and the garbage room where the killing took place.

Neither the suspected officers nor the witnesses were shown footage of the incident during the investigation, according to Haaretz.

Hallak's killing has drawn comparisons to the death of George Floyd in the US and prompted a series of demonstrations by Arabs and Jews against police violence toward Palestinians.

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