The Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court extended the house arrest of the three suspects in the attack on an Arab family in Jaffa earlier this month by two days, contrary to the police’s request for a ten-day extension.
The police representative at the hearing, Attorney Lt. Col. Israel Sionov, initially requested that the suspects’ house arrest terms be extended by ten days. The court asked why ten days additional of house arrest were required given the limited number of investigative actions that still had to be carried out, and Sionov replied: “This is a matter of solid reasonable suspicion,” and that the days were required “for the prosecution to decide whether to file an indictment.”
The suspects’ defense attorney, Assaf Gonen from the Honenu organization, which provides legal aid to far-right activists, settlers, and soldiers, asked for the house arrest to be completely lifted, as this was a one-time incident that had been investigated for weeks.
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The three men suspected of attacking an Arab family in Jaffa, at the Tel Aviv Magistrate Court, earlier this month. Credit: Itai Ron
The three men suspected of attacking an Arab family in Jaffa, at the Tel Aviv Magistrate Court, earlier this month. Credit: Itai Ron
Last week, the court released the three suspects to six days of house arrest under restrictive conditions – including posting bail, a ban on contacting anybody involved in the case for 30 days and reporting for police questioning when summoned. Judge Roy Perry said in his decision that he believes that “there is probable cause on the grounds of dangerousness.”
A police representative said that the prosecution agreed with the decision, but the prosecutor’s office told Haaretz that they believed the suspects’ detention should be extended for questioning.
Hanan Khimel, the woman who was attacked, and her mother-in-law, Faryal, who was with her at the time of the attack, criticized the court’s decision. “Since the attack, we have been living in constant fear,” they said.
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The woman who was assaulted, Hanan Khimel, in Jaffa. Credit: Moti Milrod
The woman who was assaulted, Hanan Khimel, in Jaffa. Credit: Moti Milrod
“The children are having trouble sleeping, and the entire family is dealing with severe psychological consequences. The decision to release the suspects to house arrest intensifies our sense of abandonment.”