Following threats to Boaz Albert’s life by ‘minorities’ the Israeli Prison Service transferred him from the Nitzan Prison to the Religious Wing of the Ayalon Prison on Monday, 15 Kislev 5774 after being ordered by the court.

Honenu attorney Adi Kedar, stated that, “Frequent and repeated requests to the Israeli Prison Service concerning the prison conditions of Boaz Albert and the threats to his life went unanswered. Only after Honenu filed a petition with the court was Boaz Albert transferred to the Religious Wing of the Ayalon Prison.” After being ordered by the court the Israeli Prison Service immediately transferred Albert to the Religious Wing of the Ayalon Prison.

“Boaz Albert is in a highly pressured environment in prison,” said one of Albert’s associates. “However even though he could be released at any moment he is battling the arbitrary and dictatorial administrative order which prevents him from returning to his home. I don’t see very many people who would go as far as he has with such strong faith in the justice of their way of life. At my meetings with him I was pleased to see that he is strong and encouraged by the widespread public support that he has received.”

On Tuesday September 24 Boaz Albert was detained on suspicion of violating an administrative order. Since then the court has authorized his release on condition that he be under house arrest in the community of Shaare Tikvah, not in his home in the community of Yitzhar.

Albert refuses to sign on his release because if he is not released to his family home he believes that there is no advantage to being released and he prefers to remain in remand until the administrative order banning him from returning to his home is canceled. In the wake of Albert’s protest a grass roots movement has been founded calling for his release and the cessation of the misuse of administrative orders. This coming week after Shabbat an event in support of Albert is expected to take place with the participation of rabbis and Knesset members.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)