Jerusalem District Court Justices Yaakov Saban, Rafi Carmel and Rivkah Friedman-Feldman have decided the trial for the suspected murderers of Jerusalem Arab teen Muhmad Abu-Khadir will be an open-door trial despite the facts some of the defendants are minors. The court accepted the prosecution’s request to open the trial due to the vast public interest in the case.

However, the court will not permit lifting the gag order on the identities of the minors involved in the case nor may their photos be published.

It is explained that since the victim’s murder was a nationalistic act and not an ordinary homicide, the public interest in the case is heightened.

The three defendants, a 29-year-old male and two minors, are suspected of abducting the victim, beating him to death and then setting him ablaze. In addition, there are charges surrounding an attempted abduction of a 7.5-year-old from Beit Haninah and burn Arab vehicles in addition to arson attacks against Arab shops in Hizme in June.

The incident occurred in the summer, following the abduction of the three kedoshim HY”D, Naftali Frenkel, Eyal Yifrach and Gilad Shaar. The victim was reportedly abducted from Beit Haninah and taken to the Jerusalem Forest where he was killed and set on fire.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)