Supreme Court Rules Against House Arrest for Suspect in Burqa Murder Case

The Supreme Court has determined that Elisha Yered, one of the suspects in the recent Palestinian murder case in the village of Burqa, will not be released to house arrest at this time. The decision comes ahead of a hearing scheduled for later on Wednesday at the Yerushalayim Magistrate’s Court, where the case will be discussed.

In an unusual departure from standard arrest discussions, the presiding judge received a request from the Shin Bet and Yered’s legal representatives, leading to a closed-door hearing attended only by representatives from the prosecution, the Shin Bet and the judge. The session lasted approximately 20 minutes. Following this closed deliberation, it was decided that Yered will remain in custody until the next hearing, set for later in the day.

Yered’s lawyer, Adv. Avichi Hagbi, stated, “Today, before the Supreme Court, the state prosecution presented classified material on behalf of the Shin Bet. This material cannot implicate or link Elisha Yered and the others to the alleged offenses. The Supreme Court also indicated that the case should be transferred to the Magistrate’s Court, where the decision on whether to release Elisha Yered will be made. I am confident that the documents presented by the Shin Bet are colored with strong hues to depict Elisha Yered, but they hold no relevance to the criminal proceedings. I believe that the Magistrate’s Court will honor the decision of the district court and maintain Elisha Yered’s remand.”

Adv. Nati Rom, another legal representative in the case, remarked, “We have applied for permission to appeal to the Supreme Court, which is an exceptionally rare step, particularly given that it is typically declined. It certainly deals with fundamental and overarching issues. We came here and were asked to leave the courtroom. While the courtroom contained representatives from the Shin Bet, the prosecution, and the police with the judge alone, we remained outside for about 20 minutes. When we returned to the courtroom, the judge announced her intention to issue a ruling. I am not familiar with such procedures, and this is a very difficult feeling. Nevertheless, we are pleased that the Supreme Court saw fit to determine that the extension of the practical remand by half an hour to an hour, until the district court convenes, does not indicate anything about the evidence in the case. We are very hopeful that the Magistrate’s Court will be bold enough to release him today, as there is not even a minimum reasonable suspicion in this case.”