An indictment was filed Sunday with the Beersheba Magistrate's Court against city resident Boris Pogosian, 31, on charges of desecration and vandalism of tombstones and property in a local cemetery.
Pogosian is accused of spraying swastika signs and "Death for Jews" and "Heil Hitler" on the graves of Gabriel Dwait and Malakan Atinsh, both Ethiopian immigrants. Dwait's body was returned from
Lebanon
as part of an exchange deal with Hezbollah
two years ago.
The defendant was arrested 10 days ago together with his mother after being caught red-handed at the cemetery.
Hate messages in Russian (Photo: Yonat Atlas)
The indictment suggests that Pogosian has been torching trash cans and benches at the new Beersheba cemetery and an alternative local cemetery over the last two years. He is also accused of spraying swastikas and hate messages on dozens of tombstones.
It is claimed that in January 2009 the defendant painted swastikas on Malakan Atinsh's tombstone and wrote in Russian "Death for Jews" "Heil Hitler" and "Patrol 36" – the name of a local neo-Nazi group.
The indictment further suggests he caused damage to the tombstone of Gabriel Dwait. For these offences he is being charged with damage to property, vandalism, trespassing and blasphemy.
According to the indictment, the defendant has frequently visited the new Beersheba cemetrary over the last two months in order to torch trash cans and cause damage to tombstones belonging mostly to immigrants from the former Soviet Union. In one of the instances he wrote in Hebrew "Death to niggers."
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