Doctor (illustration)
Doctor (illustration)Photo: iStock

An indictment was filed Thursday morning to the Jerusalem District Court against Malik Sheikh-Ali, a 29-year-old resident of eastern Jerusalem, for charges of battery assault and arson.

A month ago, Sheikh-Ali came along with his three-month-old son to a Leumit clinic in the Shuafat neighborhood, for medical treatment. One of the doctors who treated the accused and the baby gave them both medications.

Two days later, the baby returned to the clinic bearing no signs of life. After several resuscitation attempts, the clinic's medical team declared the baby’s death.

Sheikh-Ali was not present at the clinic and he heard about his son's death after a relative phoned him. The accused decided to hurt the medical staff as a result. Later that day, he arrived at the clinic by car along with other people while holding a 2 liter (67 oz.) bottle containing flammable material. At that time, there were two doctors outside the clinic’s front doors.

According to the indictment, Sheikh-Ali exited the vehicle, approached one of the doctors who was standing with his back against him, poured the liquid onto the lower part of the doctor’s body, and ignited a flame using a lighter.

As a result, the doctor suffered second-degree burns in the hips and hands, and the clinic door was completely burned.

The prosecution seeks to detain Sheikh-Ali until the end of proceedings against him.