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Soldier's wife pregnant
Photo: CD Bank
Military Judge Colonel Nir Aviram

Soldier deserts due to wife's pregnancy

Married Muslim soldier goes AWOL for 84 days. His excuse: To be by his wife's side when she gives birth. Judge gives him light sentense

In a rare decision, a military court sentenced a soldier who was away without leave for 84 days due to his wife's preganacy to be merely reprimanded and released from the army.

 

In most cases, military courts mete out harsh prison sentences to soldiers who are away without leave. However, in the case of Corporal A, a serial deserter that had already been away without leave on four occasions, the court decided not to send him to prison at all.

 

The Muslim solider who served in a Bedouin tracking unit, had most recently deserted his unit for a total of 84 days. The soldier volunteered for military service despite not being obliged to because of his marital status.

 

When Corporal A appeared before Colonel Nir Aviram, chief judge of the Southern Military Court, the military prosecutor asked that he be severely punished for his violations.

 

In court, the deserter apologized for his actions and explained his reasons for absconding. He told the judge that he lives in poverty currently owes several debts. He also said his wife is lonely and isolated from her family and has suffered physical abuse in the past.

 

It is worth noting that the prosecuting attorney offered the 27-year-old corporal a deal before the trial whereby he would serve sixty days in jail, but the solider and his attorney refused the deal.

 

Judge Aviram ruled that given the circumstances, the solider would be reprimanded and released from the army in order to be by his wife's side during her pregnancy.

 

"In these circumstances, I believe that it would not be just and might even be a mistake not to allow the accused to be by his wife's side during her loneliness when she give's birth their first-born child, if I were to rule otherwise, his punishment would be years of jailtime," Colonel Aviram said.

 


פרסום ראשון: 10.17.07, 20:23
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