Court released girls suspected of “price tag” incident

Tuesday, December 6, 2011, 16:51 This morning the police brought to the Petah Tikva Magistrate Court the seven teen-aged girls detained on suspicion of vandalizing IDF equipment in an army tent in the Shiloh Bloc. (See more here) The police issued a statement of prosecution according to which a charge sheet will be issued against the girls, accompanied by a request to keep them in remand until the completion of proceedings against them.
Judge Nitza Maimon Shashua refused the request by the police to extend their remand and released them to house arrest for two days, until the charge sheet against them is filed. Investigators from the National Unit of Serious and International Crime Investigations requested a delay in carrying out the decision and appealed to the district court.
Honenu attorney Adi Keidar, who is representing the girls, also filed an appeal on the decision, and demanded their release. Judge Ya’akov Sheinman of the Petah Tikva District Court rejected the appeal made by the police and ordered the immediate release of the girls to house arrest.
Honenu attorney Adi Keidar said that “To my satisfaction the court did not acquiesce to the request of the police, and rejected the remand extension, and that despite the fact that a statement of prosecution had been filed. It appears that the desire to put detainees on trial exceeds all limits. A statement of prosecution in a case like this is completely unfounded. The district court also rejected the appeal by the police and left standing the decision to release the girls.”
In related news, the remand of two teen-aged girls suspected of puncturing the tires of IDF vehicles at the Binyamin Brigade base has been extended until Thursday.