Court increased sentence: community service and ban on owning animals for animal abuser

The Nazareth District Court increased the sentence of Eliyahu Deri, convicted of animal abuse. He was sentenced to one month of community service, a fine of 8,000 shekels, and a two-year ban on owning animals, following an appeal by the Ministry of Agriculture.

The Nazareth District Court increased the sentence of Eliyahu Deri, who was convicted of two counts of animal cruelty and two counts of holding animals without providing for their needs. Deri was sentenced to one month of actual imprisonment to be served as community service, after the Magistrate's Court initially imposed only a suspended sentence. The fine was increased from 5,000 to 8,000 shekels, and he was banned from owning animals for two years. The decision was made following an appeal filed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. The head of the ministry's prosecution division, attorney Ziv Danieli, stated that the message should be clear: anyone who abuses animals may face actual imprisonment.