Police and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) agents arrested a fourth suspect in the Perlman case on Monday morning. The latest detainee is a resident of the Binyamin region in his 30s.
Chaim Perlman, a 30-year-old resident of Givat Washington, is suspected of having stabbed several Arab men in Jerusalem, killing four. The attacks in question took place in 1998 and 1999. Perlman denies the charges.
Two other men, Shimon Chen and David Sitbon, had previously been arrested in connection to Perlman. Sitbon was released to house arrest on Thursday after spending several days in jail. He said investigators had questioned him regarding an incident in which he stole a stun grenade when he was 15. During the investigation his parents were briefly arrested as well.
Chen, a resident of Mitzpeh Yericho, was arrested Sunday and released later in the day.
Perlman was in court Monday to protest the decision to extend his remand by another several days. His attorney, Aharon Roza, argued that the investigation had failed to turn up new information. “Today marks three weeks since his arrest, and the prosecution has nothing, absolutely nothing,” he said. "His arms were lifted during the interrogation up to the breaking point. If the prosecution had evidence, an indictment would have been handed down already. The court must order his release."
The Perlman case has drawn public attention to controversial Shin Bet tactics. A Shin Bet agent assigned to Perlman suggested that Perlman carry out various attacks targeting Arabs. The tactics, revealed on an audio recording made by Perlman, blatantly crossed the line between convincing the suspect to talk and incitement to murder, Perlman's supporters say.