Justice Eliyahu Winograd
Photo: Niv Calderon
War probe seeks delay in publishing testimonies
Winograd Commission asks High Court for permission to delay publication of testimonies by Olmert, Peretz, Halutz on handling of last summer's war
The government-appointed commission tasked with investigating the handling of last summer's war has asked the High Court of Justice on Sunday to allow it delay the publication of testimonies by the prime minister, defense minister and the former army chief of staff.
The court ordered last week to publish the testimonies of Ehud Olmert, Amir Peretz and Dan Halutz before the release of an interim report on its findings in the second half of April.
"The commission has reached the conclusion that it has to thoroughly review its approach to and preparation for the release of its transcripts," the commission said in a letter.
It added that legal, judicial and practical problems could arise from the publication of the transcripts. "The commission can not make itself free to deal with these problems because it wants to complete the drafting of the interim report in time," the commission said in a letter.
Responding to a petition by Meretz MK Zahava Gal-On, the court described the commission's failure to publish the testimonies of Olmert, Peretz and Halutz as verging on contempt of court.
A group of bereaved families who lost loved ones during the war against Hizbullah sent a letter to Justice Eliyahu Winograd asking him to comply with the court ruling as soon as possible.
"Maybe their testimonies are not popular, as the prime minister said, but they are very important to reinstating public trust in judicial institutions … and critical to uncovering the truth about what happened over summer," the letter read.
