Israeli Lawyer and Four Others Arrested for Coercing Minors to Give False Testimony in Security Case

Israeli police have arrested a lawyer and four additional suspects on suspicion of coercing minors to provide false testimony in a criminal-security case. The investigation, conducted by the Central District Police's YAMAR unit, targeted a lawyer representing a defendant indicted in January 2026 for serious security offenses including terrorism, shooting, arson, and weapons manufacturing in Ramla.

During the ongoing trial at the Central District Court, the lawyer submitted evidence in May claiming it could exonerate her client, who remains in custody. However, doubts arose regarding the origin, manner, and timing of the evidence submission, prompting a covert investigation. Findings suggest the lawyer, along with family members of the defendant, approached several minors and their parents in central Israel, attempting to have the minors falsely testify that the defendant was with them at the time of the alleged crimes to establish an alibi.

The suspects allegedly tried to induce the minors to lie by offering money and, in some cases, applying pressure and threats if they refused to cooperate. Following the transition to a public phase of the investigation, police arrested the lawyer, a woman in her 30s from central Israel, and four others, including the defendant's family members residing in Ramla. The police plan to present the suspects in the Rishon Lezion Magistrate's Court tomorrow to request an extension of their detention.