Jerusalem Court Upholds House Arrest Order Against Tal Yanun Dardik, Rejects Central Command Appeal

The Jerusalem District Court rejected the appeal by Central Command Chief Major General Avi Blot against the military appeals committee's decision concerning the restrictive and special supervision order issued against Tal Yanun Dardik. The court maintained the finding that Dardik poses a security threat justifying full house arrest, but allowed the possibility for new conditions to be set by the Central Command commander.

The original order, issued two months ago by Major General Blot following Shin Bet's recommendation, required Dardik to remain under house arrest at his mother-in-law's home in the settlement of Adi Ad. Dardik challenged this condition, stating his mother-in-law did not consent to his stay, and subsequently violated the order. He was charged with six counts of breaching a lawful directive and detained pending trial after refusing alternative arrangements or to commit to the order.

The military appeals committee confirmed the intelligence indicated a security risk from Dardik and upheld the justification for full house arrest but canceled the specific requirement to stay at his mother-in-law's residence, citing her lack of consent. The committee instructed the military commander to explore alternative arrangements, such as renting a residence in a remote area. Blot appealed this ruling, arguing the committee should have set alternative conditions itself rather than returning the matter to him.

Judge Avraham Rubin dismissed Blot's appeal, affirming the committee's authority to either set new conditions or delegate that responsibility back to the military commander. The court emphasized that only the condition of residence at the mother-in-law's home was canceled, and the security risk finding remains intact. The court noted options available to the commander include house arrest at a location with owner consent or restricted residence with electronic monitoring. Any new conditions will be subject to appeal.

The court delayed enforcement of its ruling until Tuesday morning due to the absence of an alternative approved residence. Dardik is suspected by security forces of involvement in the March violent incident in the Jordan Valley settlement of Homsa, where Jewish assailants attacked Palestinians, including women and children, causing injuries and other crimes.

Following the decision, Dardik's attorney Moshe Polsky from Honenu called for his immediate release, criticizing the prolonged detention as unlawful and unfeasible. Polsky urged the Central Command and Shin Bet to review their handling of the case.