Un tribunal de Jérusalem a déclaré, lundi 30 novembre, deux juifs israéliens coupables d’avoir enlevé et brûlé vif un adolescent palestinien en 2014, un meurtre qui avait contribué à l’escalade des violences menant à une nouvelle guerre de Gaza. Le tribunal a suspendu son jugement contre un troisième homme, le meneur du groupe, dans l’attente de l’examen de son état mental.
Dans son jugement, le tribunal dit que les trois accusés, un adulte et deux mineurs, ont bien enlevé et assassiné Mohammed Abou Khdeir en juillet 2014. Mais il ne prononce pas encore de peine et, dans le cas de l’adulte, il devra déterminer s’il est ou pas pénalement responsable. Les juges se prononceront le 20 décembre sur cette question et prononceront les peines le 13 janvier, au moins pour les deux mineurs.
Pénalement irresponsable ?
Les avocats de cet adulte, Yosef Haim Ben David, qui passe pour l’instigateur et le principal exécutant du crime, plaident son état mental pour affirmer qu’il est pénalement irresponsable. Ils ont produit un document à l’appui de leurs dires il y a quelques jours seulement, a indiqué le tribunal, ce qui explique ce coup de théâtre de dernière minute.
BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israel’s Jerusalem District Court on Monday convicted two Israelis for the murder of Palestinian teenager Muhammad Abu Khdeir last summer, with a third suspect who admitted to the killing escaping conviction on the grounds of his mental health.
The conviction of Yosef Ben David, the ringleader of the gang that kidnapped, assaulted, and burned Muhammad, 16, to death, was suspended to allow for a last minute psychiatric evaluation, Israeli news site Haaretz reported.
The 31-year-old suspect’s lawyer submitted an evaluation last week declaring that he was not responsible for his actions at the time of the murder.
The two Israeli youths found guilty will be sentenced on Jan. 13, according to the AFP news agency, while another hearing for Ben David was set for Dec. 20.
Following the ruling, Abu Khdeir’s father Hussein told Ma’an: “I will not accept less than a lifetime prison sentence and demand to demolish their houses”
He added:“I don’t believe in the Israeli judiciary, and I want to see if they will be fair or not. We will go to the International Criminal Court if the Israeli court mitigates their sentence."
All three suspects confessed to the murder during questioning by Israeli police, admitting to beating the Palestinian teenager unconscious before pouring flammable liquid on him and burning him alive.
The suspects said it was revenge for the kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teenagers.
The group drove around for hours to find a suitable victim before kidnapping Abu Khdeir at 4 a.m. after he had decided to pray at the mosque in the Shufat neighborhood of East Jerusalem.
They took him to a forest on the outskirts of Jerusalem and hit the teenager with a crowbar while shouting “this is for the Fogel family” and “this is for Gilad, Naphtali and Eyal,” Israeli news site Ynet reported.
They set fire to him and then fled the scene
.