Activists Uri Kirschenbaum and Michael Foa have published a new pamphlet called The Duma Plot: Here's how they trump up cases in the State of Israel.
The booklet describes how the indictment tells a baseless and unreliable story that led to the arrest of Amiram Ben Uliel and the Minor A. Ben Uliel was charged with the arson itself and A. was accused of helping him plan the arson, but not participating.
The booklet mentions shaky criminal cases that were "resolved" until the investigation bodies admitted there had been a mistake. Examples include: the Ma'atz gang in the 1970s, the case of a youth murdered in a bar, and other cases.
"The public pressure under which the security and political establishments found themselves after the arson in Duma led the Shin Bet to declare the murder solved as quickly as possible," the brief said. "This reality led to reckless, negligent, and irresponsible conduct by the interrogation bodies against the interrogees, and misrepresentation to the public as if the arson was being solved, while the GSS interrogators themselves knew there was no logic in the indictment."
The pamphlet reveals, among other things, that the confession extracted from Amiram under torture was in fact a repetition of a version submitted by Minor A under torture, which was read to Amiram by the interrogators. This version is presented in the indictment. The pamphlet says confessions extracted under torture in the version given to Amiram by the interrogators has of a very low level of reliability.
The pamphlet also states that even after Ben Uliel's confession (identical to A.'s version), on which the indictment is based, GSS interrogators continued interrogating him with torture: "It was clear to the GSS that Amiram's confession was fabricated. The GSS knew even in real time that these confessions didn't reflect any factual truth about the arson that occurred in Duma," it says.
The booklet also states that Duma residents interviewed by the media as witnesses to the arson told of at least two arsonists, as well as a confirmed kill by the two. This description differs from the version given by Ben Uliel, according to which he entered the village alone, and immediately after igniting the fire fled the scene.
Another point highlighted in the booklet is an article published after the indictments were filed that appeared in the Ma'ariv newspaper, in which a GSS agent admitted "it's possible the murder in Duma wasn't resolved fully."
"In the pre-trial a small bit of the Duma affair plot began to be revealed. The time has come for the public to be exposed to the absurdities of this affair and to understand that an innocent citizen may languish in prison to help the GSS cover its nakedness," said Uri Kirshenbaum and Michael Foa, the activists who wrote the booklet.
"We have the duty to act for Amiram's release, and we believe that with the help of G-d we can do it."