'Overcrowded IDF jails turn defectors away'
Deserters who wish to turn themselves in are rejected due to lack of space; 'Situation sends wrong message to draft-dodgers,' army source says
The IDF's jails are so overcrowded they have started turning away defectors, Ynet learned Monday.
A soldier who decided to desert the ranks of his unit but later changed his mind said that he made eight attempts over the course of six weeks to turn himself over to Prison 4 (military confinement base 394) but was told the facility was at full capacity. Two weeks ago an inmate was finally released, allowing the soldier to begin serving his sentence.
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The soldier's attorney has asked the military prosecution to take into account the weeks his client spent waiting for a spot to open up at the jail.
"This situation is absurd," a source in the military police told Ynet. "There is no space for convicted troops, or for those who want to turn themselves in.
"On one hand, there are soldiers who are remorseful, and wish to turn over a new leaf in the army despite the circumstances that caused them to defect. They want to serve their sentences, but they cannot," the official added.
"On the other, seeing these soldiers waiting for hours to turn themselves in only to be sent home realizes what kind of a message it sends to defectors and draft-dodgers who couldn't care less about the law or the army."
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit issued a statement denying the existence of such a situation: "There is no IDF defector who isn't jailed."
The unit said that the army's jails are currently undergoing a reorganization process with the purpose of freeing up space. According to the statement, dozens of new cells have been added.
The IDF said that the defector's claims have been reviewed and found to be baseless.
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