The commander of the IDF's Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, has decided to shorten by 10 days the sentence of a Nahal Brigade soldier who was convicted after wearing a “Messiah" patch on his uniform.
The decision followed formal recommendations submitted by both the commander of the Nahal Brigade and the commander of the 162nd Division.
The reduction in the soldier’s military prison sentence came after the Nahal Brigade commander, Col. Arik Moyal, personally visited the soldier in military prison. During the meeting, the soldier accepted responsibility for his actions and expressed remorse. In light of his willingness to take responsibility, the command approved a mitigation of his sentence.
Earlier, it was reported that the soldier, Cpl. Or, had appealed through his attorney to the Military Prosecutor’s Office, challenging the legality of the proceedings and the authority of the brigade commander to impose a severe punishment.
The commander of the 162nd Division rejected the soldier’s appeal against his sentence the previous day. Following that decision, the soldier simultaneously submitted a request to the Southern Command commander for a reduction in his sentence.
The soldier’s attorney, Ran Cohen-Rochberger, argued in his petition to the Military Prosecutor that wearing an unauthorized patch falls under “appearance and uniform" offenses, and according to military regulations, first-time offenses of this type do not permit imprisonment.
According to a report by Galei Tzahal, the appeal further claimed that the Nahal Brigade commander lacked the authority to impose such a sentence, acted contrary to military regulations, and therefore the disciplinary ruling should be annulled.