Court decision on the request to convict Yinon Magal

The Tel Aviv-Jaffa Magistrate's Court ruled that Yinon Magal cannot be convicted of the threat offense attributed to him, and ordered it removed from the criminal complaint. Judge Yael Pardelsky also accepted some of the defense's arguments regarding flaws in the complaint's wording. Magal's attorney, Adv. Adi Carmeli, argued that the complainant is using the legal process as a whip against a media figure.

The Tel Aviv-Jaffa Magistrate's Court ruled today (Thursday) that Yinon Magal cannot be convicted of the threat offense attributed to him in a criminal complaint filed by Yaron Gadot Zarcanski, and ordered it removed from the complaint. Senior Judge Yael Pardelsky determined that even if the complainant succeeds in proving all the facts, it would not lead to a conviction for a threat offense. At the center of the offense was Magal's statement: "They'll kick you to hell, don't you understand?" during a radio broadcast. Additionally, some of the defense's arguments regarding the wording of the complaint were accepted, and the court ordered the removal of additional sections that did not meet the requirements of the Criminal Procedure Law. Magal's attorney, Adv. Adi Carmeli, argued throughout the proceedings that the very management of the complaint was done in bad faith and serves as a means to silence criticism. "This is a proceeding conducted in bad faith, contrary to the law, contrary to procedural rules," he said in one of the hearings. Carmeli further argued that the complainant "is using the legal process as a whip against a media figure, to deter and silence legitimate critical discourse."