Victims' advocacy groups have petitioned Israel's Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to review the list of Palestinian prisoners slated for release, after discovering it included at least one inmate legally barred from release due to the severity of his crimes.
The Choosing Life Forum of bereaved families and Lavi Organization raised concerns after learning that Raid Khalil, who received two life sentences plus 20 years for murders determined by courts to be "exceptionally severe," was mistakenly included on the release list. Following their inquiry, Israel's Shin Bet security service confirmed the error and removed Khalil from consideration.
Attorney Yitzhak Bam, representing the groups, emphasized in his demand letter that releasing prisoners convicted of murder under exceptionally severe circumstances would constitute an ultra vires act by the government and contradict the principle of legality. He cited Government Law Section 8b(a1), which explicitly prohibits releasing prisoners convicted of murder under "exceptionally severe circumstances."
The organizations are now demanding the Attorney General conduct a comprehensive review of all cases involving life-sentence prisoners designated for release. Their goal is to ensure no other prisoners barred under Section 30b of the Conditional Release Law are mistakenly included on the list.
The advocacy groups specifically want verification that none of the life-sentence prisoners were determined by courts to have committed murders under exceptionally severe circumstances. They emphasized the critical nature of this review given the serious implications of potentially releasing prohibited prisoners.
In their communication with the Attorney General's office, the organizations stated they will petition Israel's High Court of Justice if their demand for a thorough review is not met. This legal challenge comes amid ongoing negotiations for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, adding another layer of complexity to the sensitive process.
The discovery of this oversight has raised questions about the vetting process for prisoner releases and highlighted the intricate legal framework governing such decisions in Israel. The victims' groups argue that strict adherence to these legal restrictions is non-negotiable, regardless of broader diplomatic considerations.
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