Israeli prison accidentally frees Palestinian inmate
Paperwork mix-up leads to release of man held for illegal assembly; defense officials slam Prison Service for irresponsible actions, say prisoner could have been dangerous terrorist
The initial results of the investigation into the incident indicate that faulty paperwork was responsible for the release of the Palestinian, who was arrested by the IDF and the Shin Bet for illegal assembly, and later ordered to be detained until the end of the proceedings against him.
He was freed when the form confirming his detention for a further four months failed to reach the correct destination
Defense officials expressed outrage at the IPS, claiming that the mistake was caused by negligence and a lack of responsibility, and could have occurred with a terrorist with blood on his hands. As such, they said, the incident could not be ignored.
As a result of the failure, the acting director of the Israel Prison Service ordered the establishment of an internal commission of inquiry, whose results would likely lead to punitive steps and even dismissals.
This is not the first time that Ofer Prison has accidentally released an inmate. In 2014, a group of eight security detainees were placed in a room in the prison, ahead of their imminent release.
They were then joined by another detainee, who had been arrested for throwing stones at Israeli vehicles. When the eight were released, the latter detainee took advantage of the opportunity and left prison with them and without any of the prison officers noticing.
