The High Court of Justice has ordered the State Prosecutor, Shai Nitzan, and Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, to respond within two weeks as to why there has not been a decision in the case of Minister Aryeh Deri, regarding if a criminal indictment is going to be handed down against him.

In a petition filed by the Movement for Quality Government, the Supreme Court was asked to issue an order against Mandelblit and Nitzan to instruct them to explain why they are not making a decision on Deri’s case regarding a criminal indictment.

The petition states that it is submitted in light of the continuation of the proceedings in a manner contrary to the purposes and justifications of the criminal law and the principles of administrative law, including the duty to act with due speed and the damage to the status of elected officials in the State of Israel, and the damage to public trust in law enforcement authorities, and the deterrent potential that takes on a double standard when it comes to the elected officials.

In the petition, the Movement for Quality Government also claims that there is a serious injury to Deri as a suspect to the point of actual torture, as a decision must be announced.

At the end of the petition, they demanded that the High Court of Justice instruct the Attorney General and the State Attorney to decide in Deri’s case whether to file an indictment subject to a hearing until the date of the elections to the 21st Knesset, with Election Day set for April 9, 2019.

As stated, following the petition, the High Court of Justice ordered the response within two weeks, why they are not making a decision on the matter.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)