Jerusalem District Court Rejects Central Command Chief's Appeal, Lifts Restriction on Suspected Sexual Assault of Palestinian

The Jerusalem District Court has dismissed an appeal filed by Central Command Chief Avi Blot against the military appeals committee's decision to cancel a restriction order on Tal Yinon Dradik. Dradik, a resident of the West Bank outpost Kfar Tapuach near Atarot, has been under administrative detention for 34 days after refusing to comply with an order requiring him to stay at his mother-in-law's home in Adi Ad. The military appeals committee accepted Dradik's argument that the conditions were unfeasible, citing the small size of the residence and his mother-in-law's refusal to host him.

Dradik was arrested in March on suspicion of involvement in a serious sexual assault in Humsah. Following his investigation, he was released to house arrest, and later a restriction order was issued by the Central Command chief. After Dradik refused to comply with the order and was detained, he reportedly began a hunger strike, which the prison service later denied.

The military appeals committee ruled that while the original restriction order was invalid, the Central Command chief retains the authority to issue a new order with feasible conditions, such as restrictions and supervision at a different location. Despite the defense minister instructing Blot not to issue a new order and to pursue alternative measures against Dradik, who is considered dangerous with a risk to Palestinians, Blot appealed to the district court, which rejected his appeal.

Judge Avraham Rubin affirmed the committee's decision, emphasizing that the Central Command chief may issue a new restriction order with appropriate conditions. The prosecution requested a stay of execution until Tuesday to allow for a possible Supreme Court appeal.

The legal representatives of Dradik from Honenu welcomed the ruling. Attorney Moshe Polsky stated that the court's decision exposed the original order as unimplementable, illegal, and invalid, criticizing the Central Command chief's prolonged detention of Dradik. Polsky called for a review of the conduct of the Central Command and the Shin Bet in handling this difficult case.