Mor Ganashvili and his brother in the hospital
Mor Ganashvili and his brother in the hospitalHonenu

Haifa District Court Judge Nitzan Silman today (Monday) released terrorist Rani Piran, who is accused of participating in numerous riots in Acre during Operation Guardian of the Walls in 2021 and in the near-lynching of Mor Ganashvili, to house arrest with an ankle monitor.

The indictment charges Piran with a host of crimes, including terrorist act causing serious injury with aggravated intent, racially motivated rioting, arson, obstructing a police officer under aggravated circumstances, and more.

The riots in which Piran participated included throwing stones, shooting fireworks, arson, and causing serious, life-threatening injuries to Mor Ganashvili. Judge Silman noted in the decision that it was over a series of several days during which, according to the indictment, the accused took part in criminal activity.

Among the reasons for the release, Judge Silman noted the time that had passed since the incident "It is impossible to avoid giving substantial weight to the fact that these are events that took place over a year ago. This should show that even if there was a danger from the defendant, it has faded with the calming of tensions."

Attorney Haim Bleicher of the Hoenu legal organization, which represents Ganashvili, said: "The release to house arrest of a terrorist who carried out for several days attacks of arson of Jewish shops, riots and a severe lynching, this only happens in a country where life does not matter. The court must come to its senses and act to remove these antisemitic terrorists from society and from any possibility of repeating their murderous acts. We expect that an appeal will be filed against the district's decision and that the Supreme Court will rule according to the basic life interest of the State of Israel and its citizens and leave the terrorist and his friends behind bars."

The victim himself added: "I am upset, angry, I am outraged that the blood of a Jewish person was made to be worthless. The terrorists are doing their thing, and the court releases the terrorist who participated in the lynching against me, the terrorist who burned down Jewish businesses. It cannot be that a terrorist who tried to murder a Jew and burn down Jewish businesses will be released. I don't understand how this is happening, I turned to the judge and asked him where are my rights as a Jewish citizen who was injured here? Where is the sensitivity? How can such a dangerous person be released? The judge gave me a delusional answer, it's time for the courts to understand, Jewish blood cannot be worthless, I do not accept this, I demand that the prosecutor's office appeal [this decision] and I will fight for it."