Court Orders Release of Security Officer Detained by Shin Bet

A Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court ordered the release of a security officer from Samaria, detained for investigation by the Shin Bet, to seven days of house arrest on Thursday. Judge Dan Bauman rejected the prosecution's request to extend his detention by eight days, stating he saw no reason for his continued holding by the Shin Bet. The prosecution is expected to request a stay of the decision. The suspect's identity and details of the case remain under a gag order.

Outside the courthouse, security officers from Judea and Samaria and the detainee's reserve duty friends gathered to support him and protest his arrest and detention conditions. They stated they do not oppose investigating suspicions against security personnel but demand changes in how they are treated and how their families are handled. The officer was arrested on Sunday along with another security officer from Samaria, suspected of involvement in an incident of "extreme violence near Akarba about a month ago." The investigation is being conducted in cooperation with the Shin Bet, the inter-organizational command in the Judea and Samaria region, and the Military Police.

The other suspect was released to house arrest. Friends described the detained officer as someone who dedicates his time to security both in reserve duty and civilian life, emphasizing he has never missed a reserve duty day. They criticized the Shin Bet's Jewish department, claiming it operates one-sidedly, and recounted that his wife is still shocked by the arrest. Initially, both suspects were denied access to their lawyers, but this was later shortened following an appeal.

Attorney Nati Rom, representing the detainee, stated his client was held in harsh conditions in a two-by-two-meter cell. Following the ruling, Rom expressed happiness with the "expected decision" to release the detainee to house arrest, adding it was difficult to see a "hero of Israel" held in "harsh dungeon conditions."

Member of Knesset Limor Son Har Melech, present at the hearing, called for his immediate release, stating his family presented excellent alternative detention arrangements. The protest outside the court follows a letter sent on October 11 by the Samaria Brigade's security officers' forum to regional commanders and local authority heads. The letter described the arrest as reflecting a systemic problem in the treatment of local security personnel, who they feel are treated as potential criminals rather than security personnel acting on their behalf.