The man being held for the Yad Vashem graffiti attack a number of weeks ago, Elchanan Ostrowitz was released to house arrest. His attorney appealed his incarceration and presented the court with a letter in which his client apologized to victims of the war, which he explained earlier he did not intend to offend and is sorrowed over their pain.

While the court ordered him held without bail at his indictment hearing about three weeks ago, Justice Gad Ehrenberg now decided that the defendant may be released to house arrest in Yerushalayim.

Prosecutor Eren Ori told the court that the defendant told a cellmate, who was planted by authorities, they Ostrowitz plans to strike again if given the opportunity. Ori rejected the accuracy of the state’s social worker’s report that stated Ostrowitz is not viewed as a “high risk” but defense attorney Yair Nehorai countered that his client has stated he would not strike again in the future, admitting that Ostrowitz does however believe he is correct from an ideological point of view. Nehorai explained that the crux of his statements is that he, the defendant, does realize that he erred by his actions.

Nehorai questioned why his client was placed in solitary for three days for making literally one statement to the press. He feels his client was being treated unfairly.

The court accepted the request to release him to house arrest at his mother’s home in the capital as persons including an official from the Eida Chareidis signed as guarantors on his release. He will be wearing an electronic handcuff to permit police to monitor his whereabouts all the time to make certain he does not violate the restrictions surrounding the house arrest release.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)