The young Israeli man accused of being behind a rash of bomb threats againstJewish institutions around the world was brought before the Rishon Lezion Magistrate's Court Thursday for a hearing on the extension of his remand.
During the hearing, the young man's attorney presented the court photographs and medical imaging of a brain tumor that the defense is claiming affected the 18-year-old's behavior.
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The suspect's attorney presenting photo evidence of his brain tumor at Thursday's hearing (Photo: Motti Kimchi)
(צילום: מוטי קמחי)
- The suspect and his father were detained by Police and the FBI in a joint investigation last week.
Both are being charged with dissemination of information to cause panic, computer hacking, transmission of false information, threats, impersonation of another with the intent to defraud, extortion, threatening the public and carrying a weapon.
During questioning, the boy's father said, "I couldn't have known what he was doing. He can't deal with a lot of noise, so he was in his room all the time. He has permission from the Ministry of Education to be home schooled. I never thought he was capable of doing things like this. I'm in total shock."
Additionally, the father said that his son "suffers from insomnia and it was natural that he would sit at his computer all night. We never imagined that there was some type of problem. Even when we would go into his room the screen never showed anything suspicious."
The father has denied all allegations that he aided his son in carrying out the threats.
(Translated and edited by Fred Goldberg)