Zaki Sabah, a pretzel-seller in Jerusalem's Old City who was sentenced in the past to ten years in prison for unpaid fines he collected for operating without a license, was violently arrested on Thursday after a confrontation with police and city inspectors.

In a video documenting the arrest posted on Facebook, police are seen aggressively apprehending Sabah and forcing him to the ground after he apparently prevented inspectors from confiscating his stall.

For many years, 56-year-old Sabah has been making a living by selling pretzels in the plaza at Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem's Old City. Since he has no permit and all attempts to obtain one have failed, he receives heavy fines from the Jerusalem municipality on a daily basis.

Occasionally, Sabah's stall and goods are confiscated. He has been imprisoned twice for cumulative unpaid fines that were imposed on him. In 2008 he served 11 months and in 2013, after all pending files against him were merged, Justice Tamar Nimrodi sentenced him to 10 years in prison. He was jailed for several weeks before reaching a financial settlement with the municipality.

Jerusalem Police released the following statement: “Police officers arrested [Sabah] using reasonable force due to his resistance. This is a peddler working without a permit, who behaved wildly while preventing inspectors from confiscating his wares. He continued thrashing around after the policemen arrived, attacking and injuring two of them. After he was arrested he kept on behaving wildly at the station, hurting himself with the handcuffs, and policemen had to subdue him again."

According to the statement, "an investigation into the incident has been launched. Jerusalem Police insist that the video does not present the full picture and police officers will continue to perform their duties with determination and professionalism, dealing with every lawbreaker without discrimination.”

#فيديو | شرطة #الاحتلال تعتدي على بائع الكعك زكي الصبّاح قبل اعتقاله في مدينة #القدس المحتلة ظهر اليوم.شبكة قدس الإخبارية