Court Orders House Arrest for Samaria Security Official Held by Shin Bet

The Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court ordered the release to house arrest of a security official from Samaria who had been detained under Shin Bet interrogation. Judge Dan Bauman rejected the prosecution's request to extend his detention by eight days, stating he saw no point in continuing to hold him in a Shin Bet facility.

The prosecution is expected to request a stay of execution of the decision. The identity of the suspect and details of the affair remain under a gag order.

Outside the courthouse, local security coordinators from Judea and Samaria and the detainee's reserve duty comrades gathered to support him and protest the manner of his arrest and the conditions of his detention. They stated they do not oppose the investigation of suspicions against security personnel, but demand a change in the approach toward them and their families.

He was arrested on Sunday alongside another security official from Samaria. Police statements following the arrests indicated the two are suspected of involvement in an incident of extreme violence in the Aqraba area about a month ago. The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Shin Bet, the Judea and Samaria District inter-organizational headquarters, and the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division. The other suspect was later released to house arrest.

"This is not the first time something like this happens, and it is simply frustrating. The Ministry of Defense does not talk to us at all," said his fellow security coordinators. They noted they receive support from the IDF and defense establishment officials, but do not receive the expected response.

One of them emphasized that anyone who commits an offense must bear the consequences, adding, "The modus operandi is what upsets us." He protested the decision "to arrest him in the middle of the night like a terrorist." His reserve comrades described a man who dedicates his time to security both in service and in his civilian life.

At the beginning of the investigation, the two suspects were barred from meeting with their attorneys. Following an appeal, the restriction was shortened, and they were allowed to meet with a lawyer. Attorney Nati Rom from the Honenu organization, representing the detainee, argued before the ruling that his client was held in harsh conditions, in a cell measuring two by two meters.

Following the hearing, Rom stated, "We are pleased with the necessary decision to release the detainee to house arrest. It is very difficult to see a hero of Israel held in harsh dungeon conditions by the Shin Bet, and the court did well to put an end to it."

MK Limor Son Har-Melech (Otzma Yehudit), who attended the hearing, called for his immediate release. "His family presented excellent and appropriate arrest alternatives, and we demand that the District Court also respect the decision and allow his immediate release," she stated.