Yehuda Weinstein
Yehuda WeinsteinFlash 90

A hearing at Petah Tikva District Court has found that one of the suspects detained in connection with the Duma arson is in fact being held illegally. 

The suspect, a minor, is one several being held under administrative detention - a measure which allows security forces to hold an individual without trial if they are deemed a particularly serious threat. However, even under administrative detention a minor can only be held for a maximum of 20 days, at which point the Attorney General needs to personally sign off on their continued detention.

The youth in question has been held for a total of 25 days, and Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein has not signed any such order - meaning that not only would his continued detention be illegal, but that he has in fact been held illegally by the Shin Bet for several days now.

Judge Eretz Neurieli responded to the shocking revelation by saying he would not permit the continued detention of the suspect without such a signature.

At this moment the Shin Bet security services are urgently attempting to receive the OK from Weinstein.

The suspect's lawyer, Adi Kedar of the Honenu legal rights NGO, hard harsh words for the conduct of both the law enforcement agencies and the justice system.

"There is a real concern that the Attorney General is expected to sign at this very moment a retroactive approval to legitimize an illegal detention," he said.

Immediately after the hearing my office approached the prime minister with the request to immediately suspect Attorney Generak Weinstein from his position pending an extensive investigation into the matter."