Israel releases soldier who killed Abdel Fattah Al-Sharif

The Israeli occupation authorities released the soldier who killed Abdel Fattah Al-Sharif, Elor Azaria, Thursday.

According to Israel’s Channel 2 the decision to release Azaria included keeping him under house arrest at his family’s home in the city of Ramleh.

Israel to release Elor Azaria, murderer of bleeding Palestinian. pic.twitter.com/m141eJ7fBz

— Palestine Info Center (@palinfoen) July 16, 2017

The channel reported that the decision to release the soldier was taken a week and a half after an appeal filed by Azaria’s lawyer against the previous court ruling against him.

An Israeli court had sentenced Elor Azaria to a year and a half in prison and detention in a military base before the more recent ruling by a military court to release him to house arrest and terminate his military service.

Read: The Balancing Act is Over: What Elor Azaria Taught Us about Israel

Channel 2 reported that the house arrest order allows Azaria to go to the synagogue to perform religious rituals, noting that the Israeli prosecution service is requesting a longer sentence for him while his lawyer is advocating his release.

In March 2016, Azaria murdered Abdel Fattah Al-Sharif in Hebron by shooting him in the head at point black range. Al-Sharif was wounded and unable to move at the time.

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