The Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court extended by seven days the remand of the four Yeshiva students from Yitzhar suspected of involvement in the arson of a mosque
in the Palestinian village of Yasuf last month.
The suspects are not cooperating with detectives, and deny all allegations against them. Attorney Adi Kider, who represents three of the suspects, said they were being treated like "terrorists" and vowed to appeal the decision.
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| 10 detained in Yitzhar over mosque arson / Efrat Weiss |
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Residents say more than 100 members of security forces arrived in West Bank settlement, arrested 10 people, including minors, on suspicion of setting fire to Muslim house of prayer in Palestinian village of Yasuf last month |
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Police and Shin Bet officers raided the settlement of Yitzhar Sunday night and arrested 10 people suspected of involvement in the arson, as well as other offences. During the raid, security forces searched two yeshivot, and arrested 10 suspects, including minors.
Five of the detainees, suspected of disrupting order, were released at the end of their interrogation.
The remaining five suspects were transferred for Shin Bet investigation on suspicion of torching the mosque. During the investigation, one of the suspects was released.
The four suspects whose remands were extended are 20-year-olds Zvi Sukkot of Yitzhar, Eliran Elgali of Yitzhar, and Shlomo Gilbert of Elon Moreh, and a minor.
Zvi Sukkot, one of the suspects at remand hearing (Photo: Reuters)
Attorney Kider, of the Honenu organization, who represents Sukkot, Gilbert and the minor, met with his clients on Monday. He said they were questioned for some four hours in a Shin Bet facility and that they were being accused of torching the mosque. He added that they are not cooperating with the security forces, and deny all allegations against them.
Kider added, "These are innocent people, and they are being treated like terrorists, held in conditions of security prisoners. When they were brought to meet with me they covered their eyes with masks, and let me talk to them under terrorist conditions – through glass and by telephone."
He stressed that his clients have no criminal record, "and even if they are being accused of torching a carpet in the mosque, they should still be treated like human beings."
The Shin Bet investigation into the suspects' alleged involvement in the fire continues.
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