Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court Justice Gad Erenberg on Monday, 5 Tishrei, extended the remand of three Price Tag suspects arrested on erev Rosh Hashanah in the Gush Shilo area of Shomron, on the way to a mission according to police.

As reported earlier by YWN, police found them to be carrying a flammable liquid, spray paint and other unspecified items that would be used in a Price Tag attack. They are being charged with conspiracy to commit a crime. They were ordered remanded until Wednesday, permitting police the additional time to prepare the indictment.

Defense attorney Yitzchak Baum called on the court to compel the state to release the damaging evidence, the burglars’ tools allegedly found in the possession of the suspects when they were apprehended. A police investigator reported the tools included a wrench, but quickly added additional tools were found in their vehicle, declining to elaborate.

Baum is representing the three as an agent of the Honenu organization. Honenu officials explain they feel that the news of the arrests may have been released to placate the prime minister, who is under enormous stress as a result of the Price Tag operations, especially following the arson attack against a Galil area mosque early Monday morning. The prime minister needs arrests at any price Honenu officials add.

It should be pointed out that the news of the arrests, made on erev Rosh Hashanah, was made following the arson attack on Monday morning.

Honenu adds that in this case, police simply lack any credible evidence yet the youths are being held and indicted.

Baum points out when the youths were taken into custody; they were 100 meters (yards) from the vehicle that contained the tools, pointing to the prosecution’s weak case. Honenu adds that all three defendants have clean records and in this case, their basic rights are simply being trampled.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)