Court releases to house arrest minor suspected in Jewish terror attack

A court ordered that an Israeli minor suspected of being an accomplice in the Duma arson be released to home arrest.

By: World Israel News Staff

A court on Thursday ordered that an Israeli minor suspected of being an accomplice in the Duma arson, which claimed the lives of three members of a Palestinian family, be released to house arrest.

The unnamed minor, together with Amiram Ben Uliel, 23, are charged with membership in a terrorist organization and the planning the July 2015 firebomb attack in the village of Duma near Shechem (Nablus) in Samaria. Ben Uliel is also charged with executing the attack in which three members of the Dawabshe family were burned to death and a fourth suffered severe injuries.

The release comes after two and a half years of arrest, which included intense interrogation by the Shin Bet (Israel’s Security Agency).

The minor is reportedly suffering from poor physical and mental health

He was released under severe constraints, including a required electronic ankle bracelet, court-approved oversight and a ban on his communications. The execution of the order was withheld until Sunday, allowing the prosecution to appeal.

Last month, the court ruled that confessions in the case obtained through the use of “enhanced interrogation” techniques were inadmissible as evidence. However, the court ruled that key confessions repeated later were valid.

Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked on Wednesday night expressed her hope that the court would act with benevolence and enable the minor to conduct his defense outside prison.

Offering general advice, she recommended that both sides learn from the latest developments and not rush to pass verdicts based on headlines in the media.