Orian Ben Uliel; Photo credit: Honenu
Monday, September, 7, 2020, 9:42 Prior to the September 7 ruling by the Central District Court in Lod, Orian Ben Uliel, the wife of Amiram Ben Uliel, the only suspect who has been convicted of the July 2015 murder of three members on the Dawabshe family in Kfar Duma, sent a letter to the judges in the case, requesting that they exonerate her husband in light of new evidence. The letter mentions several of the problems with the case, among them interrogations carried out under extreme duress, commonly described as torture, fundamental flaws in the investigations, and pressure from governmental officials on the police.
At the opening of her letter, Ben Uliel phrased her request as “unconventional” and listed some of the flaws of the case: “In this case, nothing has been routine. The torture my husband underwent was not routine. The flaws in the investigation – the most relevant eye witness to the incident was not interrogated – are not routine. The fact that the Chief Superintendent, who led the Israeli Police investigation team in the case, said in an interview with ‘Uvda’ that he does not believe that the version of events stated in the indictment is accurate, strengthens the claim by the defense that at the scene of the crime there were several people – also that is not routine.”
Ben Uliel added that “the Defense Minister, the President, the Prime Minster and Knesset Members have been pressuring the GSS and the police to find a guilty party at any price, even at the cost of justice, truth and a fair judicial process – also that is not routine.”
Later in the letter she wrote that she knows that her husband is free of all guilt and she related to the recent developments in the case: “I remember his being with me that night, but there is no doubt that the proceedings over the past few months in court do not leave any room for doubt, for anyone. It is obvious that there is absolutely no connection between reality and the testimony extracted from Amiram under extreme duress. The murderers from Duma have been walking about freely until this very day.”
At the conclusion of her letter Ben Uliel addressed the judges: “Discard the concept which you have adopted. A golden opportunity has arisen for you to make amends during the Days of Repentance traditional to the Nation of Israel, to exonerate my husband, Amiram, as justice, honest judgment, and common sense obligate. Take advantage of this opportunity to stop the terrible, prolonged suffering our family has been experiencing through no fault of our own. Prevent yourselves from the disgrace of being recorded in the judicial history of Israel as those who imprisoned an innocent man.”
Since the July 2015 arson attack on the Dawabshe family’s house in Kfar Duma, Honenu has assisted many Jews accused of involvement with the crime. For a selection of posts describing Honenu Attorneys’ representation of defendants and GSS interrogatees, see here. To familiarize our readers with the case, Honenu has gathered – see here – various articles and short videos on the subject.