Israeli Court Extends Detention of Man Accused of Threatening Northern District Judge

The Acre Magistrate's Court extended the detention of 41-year-old Avi (Abraham) Abukrat from Safed until Monday. Abukrat was arrested last Thursday on suspicion of threatening Judge Dunia Nassar, Deputy President of the Magistrate Courts in Israel's Northern District and a former senior police officer. The threats reportedly went beyond written court requests and included verbal statements made during a hearing. Due to the complainant's judicial position, Supreme Court President Justice Isaac Amit ordered the case transferred from the Nof HaGalil-Nazareth Magistrate Court to Acre for impartiality.

Police representative Sergeant Amal Badar stated that Abukrat repeatedly violated court rulings and issued multiple threats to Judge Nassar in June and late July through four separate messages filed in court. Alleged statements included warnings such as "You better order the return of the exhibits or you will find yourself in serious trouble" and "I will cause you extreme discomfort," along with insults calling the judge "incompetent" and "stupid." Police also presented an additional explicit threat in the investigation file.

Abukrat denied making threats, claiming his actions aimed solely to retrieve evidence needed for an appeal. His public defender, Attorney Naji Amar, requested his release, arguing the statements reflected dissatisfaction with legal proceedings rather than criminal threats. The presiding judge, Jada Bassoul, found reasonable suspicion and justified continued detention to complete the investigation, extending it by one day.

Previously, Judge Yasmin Katili at the Nof HaGalil-Nazareth Magistrate Court noted Abukrat's serious criminal record, including threats and obstruction of justice, and extended his detention by three days. The Northern District Court later rejected his appeal due to his dangerousness. Attorney Amar emphasized respect for the judiciary but maintained that the remarks were expressions of frustration, not criminal threats, and awaited the investigation's conclusion.

Shadi Saruji, head of the Northern District Bar Association, condemned the threats as severe attacks on the judge and the judicial system, stressing the need for clear deterrence and full legal measures to protect judicial independence and court integrity.