Court upholds decision to release 'Jewish terrorist' from jail
Petah Tikva District Court partially accepts police appeal, orders to release suspected Jewish terrorist to 15 days house arrest at his parents West Bank home. He is forbidden from contacting other persons of interest in case for 45 days. Police rep: Many investigation activities strengthened suspicions against him
Israel Police on Thursday agreed to release suspected Jewish terrorist Haim Pearlman to 15 days house arrest. He is forbidden from contacting other persons of interest in the case for 45 days.
Pearlman is suspected of murdering four Arabs and attempting to kill another seven.
The Petah Tikva District Court partially accepted the police's appeal demanding that Pearlman remain under house arrest for 30 days instead of seven. Judge Avraham Tal ruled that Pearlman, who has been in police custody for the past month, will be released to house arrest for 15 days at his parents home in the West Bank community of Tekoa.
Investigators dealing with the high-profile case have encountered difficulties in establishing the charges against him.
However, police claim that the allegations made against Pearlman only grew stronger throughout his investigation.
During Thursday's hearing, police representative Ilan Granot said, "The many investigation activities strengthened suspicions against Pearlman. Suspicions were not refuted, only intensified."
Pearlman's wife Keren said following the hearing, "I am not surprised. There is a judge in the heavens. He decides on everything – not Avraham Tal or anyone else."
Not surprised. Keren Pearlmanin courthouse (Photo: Yaron Brener)
Pearlman's attorney, Adi Keidar, said, "There will not be an indictment in this case, regardless of how many false allegations are presented. Haim's faith in the system has been severely shaken."
Petah Tikva District Court Judge Clara Rejenino, who was scheduled to preside over the hearing, was replaced by Judge Tal.
Associates of the suspected Jewish terrorist claimed the Shin Bet was behind the decision to replace Rejenino. According to them, Judge Tal tends to grant appeals filed by the police.
On Wednesday the Petach Tikva Magistrates' Court dismissed the police's and Shin Bet's request to keep Pearlman in custody and questioned the evidence available against him. The court ruled that Pearlman will remain under house arrest at his parents' home Tekoa.
During the hearing, Judge Nachum Sternlicht said a lineup used to identify Pearlman was problematic because the suspect's photos were published beforehand, thereby failing to constitute positive identification. The court added that another suspect, facing no less grave offences, had not been detained, thereby constituting discrimination against Pearlman.
However, the court accepted the police's request to postpone Pearlman's release until a district court appeals the decision.
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