Israeli Court Criticizes Arrest of German Tourists Filming Prison
Translated & summarized from Vesty by baba
A Haifa court ordered the immediate release of two German tourists detained on suspicion of espionage for photographing Damon Prison from the outside. Judge Orit Cantor criticized the arrest, stating no evidence supported the espionage claims and that common sense should have prevailed. The tourists were detained by prison guards but released after police presented their findings, with the Shin Bet not pursuing espionage charges.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Two German tourists were released by a Haifa court after being arrested for photographing Damon Prison.
- The court found no evidence of espionage and criticized the arrest as lacking common sense.
- The tourists were detained by prison guards but released after police investigation.
- Damon Prison holds inmates convicted of terrorism and state security offenses.
- The Shin Bet determined the incident did not involve espionage.
A Haifa Magistrate's Court ordered the immediate release of two German tourists on October 26, who had been detained the previous day on Mount Carmel on suspicion of espionage. The tourists were photographing the Damon Prison from the outside. Judge Orit Cantor stated that she found no Israeli law prohibiting external filming of the prison and criticized the arrest of the foreigners. "I found no evidence to support the suspicions. I believe common sense should have been applied, especially given that Israel's public diplomacy efforts worldwide are not currently at their best," the judge wrote in her ruling. The two German citizens, visiting Israel as tourists, were detained by prison guards while taking photos near the entrance to the correctional facility. Damon Prison holds inmates convicted of terrorism and offenses against state security, among others. Prison guards noticed the suspicious individuals with cameras near the prison walls and alerted the police. A patrol from the Nesher police station was dispatched, and officers detained the foreigners for questioning. However, the General (Shin Bet) quickly determined it was not a case of espionage and left the investigation to the police. Ultimately, after the police presented their findings to the court, the decision was made to release the detainees.
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