Court convicts murderer of soldier Oleg Shaichat
Muhammad Anbetawi found guilty of shooting soldier to death in olive grove near Kfar Kana in 2003
The Nazareth District Court on Monday found Muhammad Anbetawi, a 23-year-old resident of the Arab-Israeli village of Kfar Kana, guilty of the murder of IDF soldier Oleg Shaichat.
Shaichat was shot to death in August 2003 by members of the Free People of the Galilee organization.
Anbetawi drove the car in which Shaichat was abducted. His accomplice, Muhammad Hatib, strangled the soldier during the drive and then the two shot and buried him in an olive grove near Kfar Kana.
Members of the terrorist group were caught in 2004 after they carried out a series of shootings.
According to the verdict, the members of the Free People of the Galilee armed themselves with an M-16 assault rifle, a handgun and other various makeshift weapons in order to carry out terror attacks.
They had also hurled Molotov cocktails at vehicles in the area and planned to kidnap more Israeli soldiers.
Anbetawi pled not guilty to murdering Shaichat and maintained his denial of the allegations throughout the trial.
