Military prosecutors decided not to appeal the sentence of two IDF soldiers who forced a nine-year-old Palestinian to open suspicious bags during Operation Cast Lead in Gaza.
The troops received a conditional sentence, and following the decision not to appeal the ruling will not be serving any jail time.
Convicted soldiers at court (Photo: Eliad Levy)
The decision not to appeal the ruling was reached after prosecutors reached the conclusion that despite the light sentence, the chances of changing it following a petition were low.
The two soldiers charged in the case were overjoyed some 10 days ago after hearing at court that they will not be going to jail. The panel of judges rejected the prosecution's demand to send the two to prison and made do with demoting them by one rank, thus ensuring they would still be able to serve as reserve commanders.
While prosecutors initially planned to appeal the sentence, discussions held in recent days prompted the conclusion that an appeal would likely not be accepted by the court. The prosecution therefore decided to refrain from filing a petition, in order not to drag out the process and cause further tension within IDF ranks.