IDF soldaat veroordeeld voor schietincident in Hebron

Nu al  die anderen nog, kun je cynischerwijze denken, maar feit is dat het leger dergelijke incidenten wel degelijk serieus neemt.

 

RP

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Soldier who fired gunshots in Hebron to be jailed
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3670656,00.html

 

(VIDEO) Corporal Nahum Ben-Yaakov of Givati Brigade arrested after Ynet publishes video showing him threatening, firing in air during clash between settlers, Palestinians. Plea bargain states soldier to serve five months in prison

 

Hanan Greenberg - Ynet
Published:  02.12.09, 09:35

 

 

VIDEO - An Israel Defense Forces soldier, who fired gunshots in the air during a clash between settlers and Palestinians near the West Bank Jewish settlement of Kiryat Arba adjoining the city of Hebron, will serve five and a half months in prison, according to a plea bargain which will be presented to the court in the coming days.

"The soldier's actions were severe, so the punishment must deter all those holding weapons in their hands," a military source involved in the affair said Thursday.

 

The incident, first reported by Ynet, took place during a clash which broke out last November in a wadi between Kiryat Arba and Hebron. Corporal Nahum Ben-Yaakov of the Givati Brigade, who lives in the area, was off duty at the time but was caught into the scene of the riot.

 

He was documented with a video camera firing in the area at least twice with his military weapon. He was arrested after the video was released by the B'Tselem human rights organization.

The soldier's trial has been taking place at the Southern Command's military court for the past two months. The Judges' panel is headed by Lieutenant Colonel Orly Markman.

Ynet has learned that the sides held a series of discussions recently, which resulted in a plea bargain. The deal reveals that Ben-Yaakov faces an older indictment for the possession of weapons. According to the agreement, the two affairs will be united to one indictment which will be summed up to five and a half months in prison.

After the shooting incident, sources in the IDF said that the soldier had no reason to fire the shots as no one's life was in danger during the clash.

 

Illegal use of weapon

 

The military source refused to detail the Hebron incident's part in the punishment, but hinted that the military prosecution viewed Ben-Yaakov's actions as an illegal use of weapons.

 

"IDF soldiers holding weapons must always remember the rules and use them only when their life is in danger or when they were specifically instructed to do so. This did not happen in the current affair," the source said.

 

As part of the plea deal, the soldier will be convicted for the possession of military property, as claimed in the older indictment. He will also be convicted of illegal using weapons and of making threats, as claimed in the latest indictment.
 
The soldier's lawyer, Attorney Chai Haber, refused to comment on the content of the expected deal.

 

"We'll present the agreement in the next court session," said Habre. "My client did not fire at anyone, and this can be seen in the documentation of the event, when other members of the security forces also fired in the air during the clash. The plea bargain does include an older indictment filed against my client, but I cannot elaborate."

 

 

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