Court refused police request – Last suspect in Tuba-Zangria mosque arson case released

Thursday, November 3, 2011, 13:16 Is the court fed up with misrepresentation by the police? A short time ago, Petah Tikva Magistrate Court Judge Shalhevet-Weiss released the fourth and last suspect in the Tuba-Zangria mosque arson case.
Investigators from the National Unit of Serious and International Crime Investigations requested that the remand of the youth be extended by eight days, however the court accepted the plea by Honenu Attorney Adi Keidar, who is representing the detainee, according to which there is no evidence linking him to the event, and released him to house arrest for seven days.
The detainee, a Shomron resident, was detained three days ago in a violent raid by the police and the GSS on Yeshivat Od Yosef Chai in Yitzhar. The youth vehemently denied all charges and also said that the investigators did not present him with even one piece of evidence linking him to the arson incident.
We reiterate that this is the fourth detainee that has been investigated on suspicion of involvement with the mosque arson and released. Currently no suspects remain in remand and it appears that all of the claims of the police have turned out to be baseless, after the court ruled that there is no evidence in the case.
Honenu reports that, “Apparently the court has had enough of the misrepresentation by the police and the GSS. After repeated remand extensions, even the court has been forced to admit that there is no evidence in the case.
“The detentions are intended to satisfy the media and to give a false impression that the police know who the mosque arsonists are. We hope that the police will get their house in order and cease antagonizing and harassing those who love the Land of Israel and search for the arsonists elsewhere.”
In a related incident, one of the suspects in the Bayt Fajr mosque arson, which occurred over a year ago, was released yesterday. The district court accepted the appeal of the police concerning the second suspect and extended his remand until Sunday. Honenu filed an appeal on the decision and tomorrow (Friday) a deliberation on the detainee will take place at the Supreme Court.
We reiterate that two days ago the police requested a ten-day remand extension on the two detainees, however the court released the two immediately and ruled that there was no evidence linking the two to the incident. Following an appeal filed by the police the two remained in remand. As previously stated, one detainee was released yesterday and the other is still in remand.