Man charged with vandalizing media outlets and Justice Ministry offices

The Tel Aviv District Attorney’s Office files an indictment against Ramat Gan resident Avraham Hadi for vandalism and intimidation at the Tel Aviv offices of Channel 12, Channel 13, Haaretz and the Justice Ministry.

Hadi, 44, is charged at the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court on several counts of intimidation and property damage.

He is also charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly disposing of evidence, as well as extortion for allegedly threatening Channel 12 that “someone will die” if the network doesn’t apologize for its reporting on the Sde Teiman prisoner abuse case.

Prosecutors say Hadi spray-painted the words “The blood of the traitors will be cleared for publication” on a wall outside the Channel 13 offices on November 19 last year.

Last month, Hadi allegedly smashed the glass entrances to the offices of the other media outlets and the Justice Ministry.

According to the indictment, he did so once at Haaretz, on July 8; twice at the Justice Ministry, on July 15 and 22; and twice at Channel 12, on July 5 and 28, leaving behind a letter with the death threat the second time.

On the evening of July 30, Hadi tossed in the trash of his Ramat Gan building the pants and shoes that he allegedly wore while carrying out the acts of vandalism, according to the indictment. He was arrested later that day and has since been in custody.

All the acts of vandalism were carried out before dawn. In each of the July acts, Hadi wielded two bricks and wore a mask and work gloves, the indictment says.

Hadi carried out the attacks in light of “his views about the justice system and the media outlets,” with intent to “intimidate or mock” the outlets’ workers, the indictment says.

The indictment does not allege Hadi was trying to intimidate Justice Ministry workers. He faces only property damage charges over the attacks on the ministry’s Tel Aviv offices.