Yechiel Kotiner, a young man from the Gur Hasidic community whose arrest triggered an unusual wave of protest, was released Sunday night from military prison after serving six days of a 10-day sentence. He left custody accompanied by family members and Gur community activists, and later arrived home in Ashdod to singing and dancing by dozens of Hasidim.
The case began last week when Kotiner came to the enlistment office to arrange a medical exemption from military service. According to a report on Channel 7, he is not a yeshiva student but works in Gur institutions near the Gur Rebbe. Despite the purpose of his visit, he was arrested on the spot for desertion and sent to prison.
The arrest caused strong anger in the community, especially because the family had recently suffered a major loss, with Kotiner’s brother, Raphael Ari, killed in a deadly traffic accident only weeks earlier. The incident quickly drew a large-scale response from Gur Hasidim.
On Wednesday, thousands from across Israel gathered outside Prison 10 in Beit Lid for a mass prayer rally and protest. The Gur Rebbe made a rare appearance outside his Jerusalem home to join the event and support Kotiner. During the rally, Housing and Construction Minister and Knesset member Yitzhak Goldknopf recited Psalms, while senior community figures voiced sharp objections to the continued detention of yeshiva students.
