IDF Sgt. Elor Azariya, who was convicted of manslaughter in January and sentenced to 18-months imprisonment, is being released to house arrest. To date, he remained under ‘open arrest’ on his base since the appeal was filed on his behalf.

Amid the realization he completes his three-years of compulsory military service on Thursday, 26 Tammuz, his attorney filed a request to have him released to house arrest since he will no longer be a soldier.

Since the court has already ruled he cannot be sent to prison until a ruling is announced in his appeal, he can be sent to house arrest or even released without restrictions, though the latter is most unlikely. This led to the decision to send him to full house arrest.

The manslaughter conviction surrounds his shooting and killing of a wounded Arab terrorist in Hebron shortly following a terror attack. The court ruled the terrorist was already wounded and on the ground, and he no longer posed a threat as Azariya explained was the case and therefore, killing him was unjustified. He was found guilty of manslaughter by the military court.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)