Prison (file)
Prison (file)Flash 90

The Israel Prison Service's (IPS) release committee decided on Tuesday to release Shlomi Dvir, a member of the "Bat Ayin Underground" which planned attacks against Arab sites as revenge for the massive wave of Arab terrorist attacks during the Second Intifada.

Dvir, the father of eight children and a resident of Bat Ayin, has served 13 years out of a total of 15 sentenced to him, meaning he could be released early. He is the last of the Bat Ayin cell to still be in jail.

For the first time, the Israel Security Agency (ISA) did not submit opposition to the decision to release Dvir, in light of the early release in February of Ofer Gamliel, another member of the cell.

Members of the release committee noted that according to the opinions of the ISA as well as IPS sources, the concern that Dvir might return to his previous violent activities is low enough to warrant his early release.

However, the actual release was postponed by seven days to allow Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein time to consider submitting a petition against the decision.

Attorney Adi Kedar of the Honenu legal aid organization who is representing Dvir responded by saying, "we receive the committee's decision with mixed emotions, given the fact that the decision to release him (Dvir) should have been earlier, immediately after the release of Ofer Gamliel."

"The claims of the attorney general's representative in the discussion were not appropriate and to a certain degree were in opposition to the position of the ISA, which is the certified authority in estimating the perceived danger of security prisoners," added Kedar.

The attorney concluded, saying, "we hope that the attorney general will respect the decision of the committee and in doing so bring to an end the web of abuse against Shlomi Dvir and his friends."