Prison 4
Photo: Amit Magal
Soldier imprisoned for desertion briefly escapes Prison 4
Detainee claims he was beaten by military police while handcuffed after they caught him four hours after his escape; he was able to climb onto the roof of the prison's synagogue and make him way from roof to roof until jumping over the fence.
An IDF soldier was able to briefly escape Prison 4 in Tzrifin on Thursday and was caught four hours later.
The soldier claimed he was beaten by the Military Police officers while in handcuffs after they captured him, leaving him with bruising to his face and upper body, a cut near his eye and hemorrhaging in his head.
The soldier was jailed by the Military Police last Wednesday after a nine-month absence from service.
Prison 4 (Photo: Amit Shabi)
According to the soldier, he decided to escape the very next day due to the serious mental issues he is suffering from.
An initial investigation found the soldier was able to escape the military prison in a similar way as other prisoners in the past.
On Thursday, around 9pm, he climbed on the roof of the prison's synagogue wearing nothing but an undershirt and boxer shorts. He jumped from there onto the roof of Company C's mess hall, then onto the roof of Company A's mess hall. He then jumped over the prison fence and made his way to Shikun HaMizrah neighborhood in Rishon Lezion.
Immediately upon discovering he was gone, four teams of Military Police went out to look for him, searching the Tzrifin base as well as train stations in central Rishon Lezion and in Lod.
He was eventually found close to midnight by his company commander near the Beit Dagan Junction, suffering from exhaustion.
He escaped shortly before an indictment could be filed against him for desertion.
Prison 4 (Photo: Yariv Katz)
Now, the military prosecution is planning to also charge him with escaping custody, despite claims by his lawyer Idan Dvir that the arrest order against his client was invalid.
"He was detained for 11 hours without an arrest order, and this should be taken under consideration. The detainee was beaten by the military police on his way back to prison, in the car, while handcuffed," Dvir said.
The soldier's remand was extended on Friday until Sunday at noon.
The IDF said in response that "the claim that force was used against the deserter because he resisted arrest is being examined. The incident will be investigated in full and the necessary conclusions will be drawn."
This is not the first time detainees at Prison 4 manage to escape. Four years ago, a dangerous prisoner held in maximum security was able to escape twice over the course of a month and was found only after extensive searches in southern Israel.
Following that prison break, the IDF's Manpower Directorate decided to dismiss some of the officers serving at the prison, including the facility's commander—a lieutenant colonel.
