Court says Israeli minor was physically pressured to confess to Duma arson
Some statements over the Duma firebombing that killed three members of the Dawabsha family in 2015, were extracted due to painful physical pressure
An Israeli court ruled invalid confessions from a Jewish-Israeli minor in the deadly firebombing of a Palestinian family’s home in the West Bank, saying they were acquired due to physical pressure exerted by authorities.
The Central District Court in Lod let stand the major confessions of the main defendant in the 2015 Duma village bombing that killed three members of the Dawabsha family, but ruled that some other confessions extracted from Amiram Ben-Uliel were made due to painful physical pressure.
The court said that Ben-Uliel’s admission of planning and committing the attack was usable since it was made well after the end of the physical pressure and was “given willingly.” It declined to rule on whether the pressure during the interrogation by the Israel Security Agency, or Shin Bet, was torture or what the agency calls “enhanced interrogation.”
Since the court found that the confession extracted from the unnamed minor defendant was not admissible due to the duress, the prosecution may have to throw out the case. He reportedly did make admissible statements about other price tag incidents against Palestinians, for which he still may be prosecuted.
The firebombing on July 31, 2015, killed Riham and Saad Dawabsha and their toddler son, Ali Saad Dawabsha. Ahmed Dawabsha, then 5, survived the attack but required months of treatment for his burns. He now lives in Duma with his extended family.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
