Israel frees top Islamist leader
Senior head of Islamist movement accused of aiding terrorists released a day early; Sheikh Raad Salah was imprisoned for contacting Iranian agent and Israel found organization helped fund Hamas
Security forces arrested Sheikh Raad Salah, the head of the northern branch of the Islamist Movement and former mayor of the Israeli-Arab town of Umm al-Fahm, in May 2003 on charges that he held contacts with an Iranian intelligence agent.
Israel also says his organization tranferred funds to the terrorist group Hamas.
The Shin Bet security service and the police decided he should be freed a day before his release date after receiving alerts that his supporters may disrupt traffic around the prison and that Jewish ultranationalists would try to attack the crowd, a source within the Prisons Authority said.
A Prison Authority spokesman said the early release was made for “operational reasons.”
Prison guards woke him up around 4:30 a.m., before morning prayers, ordered him to pack his personal belongings and told him he was being transferred to another jail.
“It was obvious that he wasn’t pleased with the early release because it would mean he would miss the tens of thousands of people who were expected to arrive at the prison entrance to welcome him, and that he would miss his second reception in his hometown of Umm al-Fahm,” a prison official added.
Salah was then driven to his home, to the surprise of the town’s residents.
The release was surprising and unexpected,” said Islamist Movement member Abed Mahamid. “The whole village is starting to raise drinks and rejoice about it. During the next few days we will hold a support rally and celebrate the occasion.”
15 detained in "Ants' Work" operation
Israeli forces arrested Salah and 14 other Islamist movement officials on May 13, 2003 during “Operation Ants’ Work.” The group was suspected of transferring millions of dollars to Hamas terrorists in Israel and overseas under the cover of humanitarian aid.
Security officials documented more than two years of evidence against the suspects, including the wire-tapping of more than 100,000 phone calls where Salah was heard speaking to religious leaders in Israel and abroad, including some who were linked to terror activities and causes.
Salah was indicted in June 2003 of holding contacts with an Iranian intelligence agent who worked out of Lebanon.
Salah has been accused and questioned in the past on allegations of lecturing and inciting against Israel. The Interior Ministry imposed a travel ban on him in January 2002, forbidding him from leaving Israel due to material the Shin Bet presented about him. His appeal was rejected.
During an Islamist Movement convention in 2002, he administrated a moment of silence for Palestinian “martyrs.”
An Israeli court sentenced Salah in January to three years in jail, although it counted his time in detainment since May 2003 as part of his punishment. He has been kept in solitary confinement as a security prisoner since April 2004.
He was supposed to serve his time in jail until November but was told he would be freed earlier due to good behavior.
