Israeli court lifts house arrest of Ra'am activist in election bribery case

A Beer Sheva Magistrate's Court canceled the house arrest of Ra'am activist Sa'id Abu Sa'ad, arrested on suspicion of election bribery. Another suspect was released earlier; a third remains under house arrest pending police appeal.

The Be'er Sheva Magistrate's Court rejected the police's request to maintain restrictions on another suspect in the election bribery affair for Ra'am in the Negev. Judge Eran Tzabari accepted the position of the suspect's defense attorney, Mas'udin, a resident of Segev Shalom, and ruled that there is no reason to continue the restrictions. His decision was signed with the statement "the harm does not equal the king's sorrow." Earlier, restrictions were also lifted from Siyaf Abu Rish, a 38-year-old doctor arrested on suspicion of involvement in the envelope affair. The police requested to extend his arrest by six days and ban him from internet surfing, but the court determined that the strength of the evidence had diminished and that his work is internet-based. The third suspect, Ibrahim Algribi, was released to house arrest, and the police filed an appeal expected to be heard during the day.