Court cancels house arrest of Ra'am activist arrested on suspicion of election bribery

The Be'er Sheva Magistrate's Court canceled the house arrest of Sa'id Abu Sa'ad, a Ra'am activist arrested on suspicion of election bribery. A police representative refused to answer whether the source of the investigation was the Prime Minister's Office. Yesterday, Dr. Siyaf Abu Rish, another activist arrested on election day, was released.

The Be'er Sheva Magistrate's Court canceled today (Monday) the house arrest of Sa'id Abu Sa'ad, a Ra'am activist arrested on suspicion of election bribery. A police representative refused to answer in the hearing whether the source of the investigation was the Prime Minister's Office, saying "the judge knows where the case originated." Yesterday, Dr. Siyaf Abu Rish, one of three activists arrested on election day on suspicion of the same offense, was released from custody, contrary to the police's request to extend his detention. Abu Rish's father, Issa, said: "This is political persecution. Siyaf wanted more people to vote. That's all the 'wrong' he did." The three suspects were arrested the night before the polls opened, following information conveyed the previous day by Idan Norden, head of the Prime Minister's Office staff, to the office of Police Commissioner Danny Levy. Four other suspects were released to house arrest.