Prison warden dismissed for mistakenly freeing inmate

The warden in charge of Israel’s Ofer prison was recently dismissed for accidentally freeing a Palestinian security detainee, Channel 2 reported Thursday.

According to the report, the Palestinian man was arrested on suspicion of throwing rocks at Israeli vehicles a few months ago. He was brought by Shin Bet agents to the prison, and jailers mistakenly placed him with a group of prisoners who were about to be released. He was set free hours later, but was later recaptured once the error was realized.

An internal committee investigated the incident and found the head of Ofer prison responsible. The prison service relieved him of his post and transferred him to the Holot prison in southern Israel.

The Holot facility, situated in the Negev Desert, houses illegal migrants, whereas Ofer, located between Jerusalem and Ramallah, contains mostly security detainees.

“It’s a punishment,” a prison service source told Channel 2. “The [Holot] prison is located far south and is regarded as less prestigious than the security [related], complex Ofer prison.”

The prison service said in response that the head of the prison service “adopted the committee’s recommendations and a number of officials were given administrative punishments, including the [Ofer] prison warden.”