House arrest of 5 soldiers suspected in Sde Teiman abuse case extended by two weeks

A military court approves the prosecution’s request to extend the house arrest of five reservist soldiers suspected of abusing a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman detention facility by two weeks.

The soldiers will be held under house arrest until September 4, according to the decision.

The court further rules that a hearing can be held on August 25, before the prosecution files indictments, for the defense to offer an alternative to detention for the suspects.

A Military Police investigation into the high-profile abuse case is due to be finished in the coming days, according to the Israel Defense Forces, and all the investigation materials will be handed over to the defense at the beginning of next week.

In all, 10 soldiers at the Sde Teiman detention facility were detained over the suspected sexual abuse of a Hamas police officer who had been arrested in the Gaza Strip. Prosecutors did not seek to hold five of them in custody, following new evidence in the case.

According to the IDF, the soldiers are suspected of aggravated sodomy (a charge equivalent to rape), causing bodily harm under aggravated circumstances, abuse under aggravated circumstances and conduct unbecoming of a soldier.