Haifa court releases Islamic Movement leader in Israel

Israel’s Haifa Magistrate’s Court yesterday released the deputy leader of the northern faction of the Islamic Movement in Israel, Sheikh Kamal Al-Khatib, who was arrested by Israeli police special forces ten days ago in a violent raid on his hometown of Kufr Qanna, Anadolu reported.

Al-Khatib’s lawyer, Khaled Zabarqa, told the news agency that the court released Al-Khatib to house arrest until Friday and banned him from accessing the internet or possessing a device that would grant him internet access 3 June at 12:00.

Zabarqa added that during the hearing, Israeli police requested that Al- Khatib’s detention be extended in order to obtain permission from the Israeli attorney general to file an indictment for incitement offenses.

The judge ordered a delay in the execution of the decision until today and ordered Israeli police to inform the court if they intend to appeal the decision.

If police do not intend to file an appeal, Sheikh Khatib will be released the same day.

The Islamic movement has been banned by Israel since 2015.

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