A police request to extend the remand of senior HaPeles officials, the newspaper of the Peleg branch, has been denied on Thursday afternoon, 8 Iyar. Police wanted to extend the house arrest of HaPeles Editor-in-Chief Nati Grossman and others, but the court would not hear of it. Police also requested to shut the HaPeles information lines, but this request was also rejected.

After eleven days in jail and six days of house arrest, police asked to extend Grossman’s house arrest along with Shmulik Elyashiv, Chaim Yavrov and Avraham Trager, the newspaper’s senior officials. Police explained they planned to file criminal indictments against all of them during their period in house arrest but this did not occur as the details of the case had to be transferred from one police unit to another as well as the prosecutor. Hence, they are asking to extend the house arrest.

The indictments will contain charges of invasion of privacy, impersonating another, harassment by means of telecommunications, fraudulently receiving funds and extortion by means of threats. Police wish to distance Grossman from continuing to serve as editor of HaPeles in the near future but his attorney, Yair Golan, would not accept this condition. However, Grossman may not have any contact with the advertising agencies in Israel for a half year as well as with companies involved in the case.

Justice Amit Michalis explained in order to grant an extension, police were required to submit a request for reconsideration – which police did not do. Hence, the court did not find any new evidence of major change in the situation, deciding to reject the state’s request.

The court added “under these circumstances, and given the original conditions of release were determined by the District Court and approved by the High Court, I do not find the request will be granted. However, the door remains open to police to apply for reexamining the case”, which is likely to occur.

Peleg leaders, members and supporters are using this to playdown the criminal charges that await the HaPeles officials, seeking to remain optimistic.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)