One of the suspects in the deadly Duma arson case has been released to house arrest, after Lod District Court rejected an appeal by police to keep him detained without trial.
The suspect, whose identity is still the subject of a gagging order, had been held for 29 days under administrative arrest, the initial 20 day of which he was denied any legal representation.
Yesterday, formal charges were finally filed against him – but in a totally unrelated case, pertaining to an alleged fight he had with Bedouin shepherds two years ago. Attorneys and supporters of the suspect accuse the Shin Bet security service of leveling the charges out of the blue in order to extend his detention despite a lack of evidence linking him to the deadly attack in Duma.
In a statement Tuesday, attorneys from the Honenu legal rights group alleged he had been subjected to “violent” interrogation techniques, including “violent shaking, hitting, banging his head against a wall, stretching his head back until he vomited, and sleep deprivation for entire days.”
In rejecting the police appeal the court accepted the conditions for release set by a Petah Tikvah court Monday, which stipulated among other things a monetary guarantee and strict terms of house arrest.
Leave a Reply