Yechiel Kotiner, a young member of the Gur Hasidic community whose arrest last week triggered an unusual wave of protests within the group, was released from military prison on Sunday night.
Kotiner was freed after serving six days of a 10-day sentence and was escorted from prison by family members and community representatives.
The controversy began last week when Kotiner arrived at a military induction office to arrange a medical exemption from military service. Kotiner is not a yeshiva student but works at Hasidic institutions near the residence of the Gur Rebbe.
Despite the purpose of his visit, authorities decided to arrest him immediately on suspicion of desertion and transfer him to prison. The arrest caused widespread anger in the community, particularly due to a recent family tragedy: only weeks earlier, Kotiner’s brother, Raphael Ari, of blessed memory, was killed in a fatal road accident.
Following the arrest, members of the Gur Hasidic movement quickly organized a large-scale protest campaign. On Wednesday, thousands of Gur Hasidim from across Israel gathered outside Prison No. 10 in Beit Lid for a prayer rally and demonstration demanding his release
.The event was attended by the Gur Rebbe, who left his Jerusalem residence in an unusual move to participate and show support for the young man. During the gathering, Housing and Construction Minister MK Yitzhak Goldknopf recited chapters of Psalms, while senior figures in the community delivered strong statements criticizing the continued detention of yeshiva students.
Members of the Gur community expressed relief following Kotiner’s release. When he arrived back home in Ashdod, he was welcomed by dozens of community members with singing and dancing.