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Judge Orders Prosecution To Prove Why Rosenfeld Must Remain Imprisoned [Video]

Avi Rosenfeld

The District Court in Tel Aviv held a hearing on Tuesday regarding the request of Ari Rosenfeld [previously known as Sgt. A.], the frum non-commissioned officer who was accused of leaking documents to the Prime Minister’s Office, to review the outrageous decision to keep him in custody until the end of the legal proceedings (which could take years).

Rosenfeld arrived at the hearing and was greeted with applause from supporters in the courtroom, who shouted: “Ari, you are a hero of Israel” and “We love you.”

He has been imprisoned for over two months, separated from his young wife and son.

At the end of the discussion, the judge ordered the prosecution to adhere to the recommendations of the Shin Bet and the Prison Service as soon as possible and explain the need to keep Rosenfeld in prison. The head of the Shin Bet previously declared that Rosenfeld poses no danger and there is no need for him to remain in prison.

Meanwhile, Rosenfeld will remain in custody.

The prosecution requested to hold the discussion behind closed doors due to the “risk” of the case – but the judge rejected the request.

Likud MK Tally Gotliv, who participated in the hearing, said: “Rosenfeld poses no danger. This was declared by the head of Shin Bet. Therefore, these are new circumstances [and the previous ruling should be disregarded]. The prosecution has been given a ladder to descend from and release him.”

Gotliv was referring to the fact that the prosecution has been slammed even by leftists for the case and for the suspects’ extended imprisonment in harsh conditions.

Roosenfeld’s lawyer said in court that the prosecution claims that Rosenfeld must remain in prison due to fear that he will leak further information but he was recently transferred to a prison in central Israel and placed in a cell next to a person convicted of espionage. Later, he was moved to a monitored cell, but the lawyer said that “this ‘dangerous person with classified information in his head’ meets everyone and their spouses, political figures, etc.”

Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli slammed the State Prosecutor’s Office regarding the case. Speaking with Arutz Sheva, he said: “We are witnessing a situation where an outstanding officer is effectively serving a sentence under the harshest conditions for over 70 days without any conviction. No one has convicted him. He is being held under these conditions without any justified reason.”

He added, “In today’s court hearing, an absurd fact emerged—they accuse him of leaking information to politicians but they placed him in a cell with a spy. The detainment is completely baseless. He must be released to house arrest.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, stated: “The malicious prosecution of State Prosecutor Amit Aisman, backed by Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, against the officer Ari Rosenfeld is unfathomable.”

“Aisman is pursuing Rosenfeld despite the fact that even the Shin Bet clearly stated that he poses no risk. The decisions of the prosecution are completely distorted. This is the same Aisman who sought to open a criminal investigation against me on suspicion of ‘incitement against the residents of Gaza.'”

“Just a reminder: Gilad Kariv [who allegedly leaked information from a classified Knesset meeting to the media] has not been investigated. Nor has Yair Golan, who called for refusal and publicly threatened the police commissioner. The prosecution led by Baharav-Miara and Aisman is political from head to toe.”

Last month, Channel 13 host Raviv Drucker called for the State Prosecutor to release Rosenfeld immediately, a surprising statement for someone strongly associated with Israel’s left-wing sector and incessant criticism of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu

“Just release the officer already,” Drucker said. “This is madness, a disgrace, and a scandal. What he did was wrong, and he is being prosecuted for it. But that doesn’t begin to explain the disgraceful ruling of Supreme Court Justice Alex Stein.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)



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