(JNi.media) The Lod District Court will be deciding in the coming weeks if testimony extracted via torture from a suspect in the Duma arson-murder investigation will be admissible by the court, according to a report by Kan 11.
The defense claims that the confession of Amiran Ben-Uliel, who was charged with the murder of three members of the Dawabshe family, is inadmissible in court as it was attained through force by the Shabak (Israel Security Service).
A smaller trial has been held regarding a second suspect, a minor, who also confessed under Shabak torture to have participated in attack.
The Shabak appears to consider the minor’s confession problematic due to incongruities between the extracted confession and the actual events.
The outcome of that minor’s court decision, will dramatically affect the Lod court’s decision.
The court also decided to extend the arrest of the minor for the tenth time. After the first six months, the court needs to extend the minor’s detention every 45 days.
The testimony obtained by the Shabak from Ben-Eliel, who said he acted alone, contradicts that of Arab witnesses from Duma who claim to have seen multiple assailants that night.
There have been at least half a dozen arson attacks in Duma over the past few years, some of which are suspected to have been part of a two-decade long feud between different clans in the town.