Kfar Duma case: DA’s office rejects District Court’s opinion

Sunday, August 11, 2019, 18:12 At a deliberation which took place several weeks ago at the Central District Court in Lod, the panel of judges ruling in the Kfar Duma trial recommended that the Central District Attorney’s office change their minds regarding the clause of the indictment which charges the minor in the case with belonging to a terror organization. The head of the panel of judges, Judge Ruth Lorch, stated that convicting the minor of this charge “is a bit extreme in our opinion” and the probability that he will be convicted of the charge is highly unlikely. The panel requested that the Central District Attorney’s office inform the court of their decision. At the end of the week of Sunday, August 4, the Central District Attorney’s office informed the Central District Court in Lod that they had rejected the recommendation and intend to maintain the charge against the minor.
Honenu Attorney Adi Kedar, and Attorney Tzion Amir, who are representing the minor, stated that, “The position of the Central District Attorney’s office is outrageous. It is not enough that they did not listen to the decisive statements of the court. They have taken the law into their own hands and raised new claims, without authorization of the court. The signature of the Attorney General’s office and other high-ranking officials is evident from the language of the response. However examination of the content reveals that there is nothing backing it.
“We will respond in a while and we are completely certain that the court not only will not back down from its decision and its statements but rather will reinforce them with sharp criticism of the Attorney General’s office. The scandalous and outrageous comparison in the response by the Attorney General’s office must be noted. At the end of the proceedings the defendant will make an accounting and sue the authorities who harassed and abused him.”