Despite the opposing position of the Attorney General’s office, Judge Ami Kobo of the Central District Court in Lod ordered the Probation Service to provide an expert opinion concerning the minor in the Kfar Duma case which will examine the possibility of releasing him to house arrest. The decision was reached sooner than expected. Initially the judge scheduled a deliberation on the case for Thursday, 29 Tammuz.

Additionally, Judge Kobo ordered consideration of an electronic ankle bracelet as an alternative to remand and demanded that the opinion be submitted to the court by Wednesday, 28 Tammuz.

Honenu Attorney Adi Keidar who, along with Attorney Tzion Amir, is representing the minor stated that, “Immediately following the verdict handed down in the trial within a trial we filed a request to order the release of the defendant.

“Unfortunately, and to our dissatisfaction the Attorney General’s office strongly opposed the request. This opposition is out of place and does not respect the court’s decision. An individual does not automatically have to be in remand until the end of proceedings, certainly not a minor and certainly not for two and half years. Most importantly, after such a verdict I would expect the Attorney General’s office to release the minor. Release does not constitute acceptance of the defendant’s innocence, but rather the continuation of legal proceedings in a decent and correct manner.

“I am pleased that the court is progressing with us, step by step, and has ordered the submission of an expert opinion. I hope that, after all of the suffering we have endured, the expert opinion will quickly lead to the release of the defendant.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)