Elad Sela
Elad SelaPhoto: Flash 90

Elad Sela, a soldier in the Etzion brigade, has been incarcerated for a year and a half after being convicted of transferring secret information to right-wing activists in Bat Ayin about police activities planned against them.

Sela was convicted in a plea-bargain agreement and was sentenced to 45 months in jail.

His wife Malka Sela protested the difficult conditions in which he is being held and the total suspension of furloughs due to his being defined a security prisoner.

Before Rosh Hashanah, Sela appealed to Internal Security Minister Gilad Arden and demanded that he intervene to stop the discriminatory approach to her husband. She cited the example of Anat Kam who was convicted of severe espionage crimes as well as of revealing secret information but is entitled to furloughs and is not deemed a security prisoner.

Sela added that Kam revealed sensitive security information to terrorist elements whereas in Elad's case the matter involved police work with Jewish civilians. Sela believes her husband is being treated worse due to his political views. "While Kam, whose political views are clear, received furloughs and is not termed a security prisoner, my husband is defined as a security prisoner and is constantly refused furloughs even for humanitarian reasons and this is only due to his external appearance and political opinions."

"Why should Kam be with her family while Elad cannot be with his children for Rosh Hashanah at home? This is a crude and harsh trampling of democratic values which causes harm to me and my family."

Sela noted that her husband had enlisted in the army despite medical problems and despite having a family of small children because of his desire to contribute to the country.

"Thank G-d, we have two small children, one three years old and the other just a year and a half, and Elad hardly knows the younger one who was just two weeks old when he was arrested. During this long period, we can only visit Elad for half an hour every two weeks which is not enough to develop a proper relationship between Elad and his children as a father figure and this hurts them in their daily development."

The Honenu movement which is accompanying the Sela family said that "this is a harsh and serious discrimination which has no basis. There is no reason to mistreat the soldier and his family. Why should we prevent him seeing his children for longer periods? Why not let him spend the festival in his house as the custom is for prisoners convicted of far more severe crimes? From where does this hypocrisy and nastiness derive?"