The Israel Public Defense, an organization dedicated to providing legal assistance to those unable to afford representation, has unequivocally declared that no attorney or legal firm will advocate for any individual associated with Hamas who was apprehended following the events of October 7, marked by widespread chaos and tragedy.
Justice Minister Yariv Lenin expressed his approval of the Israel Public Defense's decision.
"I welcome and support the decision of the Public Defense refusal to represent Hamas murders who had carried out murder and mayhem on October 7 in Israel.”
He affirmed that under his administration, the Justice Ministry will persist in its commitment to ensuring that the apprehended terrorists are held accountable for their actions.
M.K. Simcha Rottman, the Chairman of the Constitution, Law, and Justice Commission, further stressed that it is imperative for the Public Defense not to act as legal representation for the terrorists in court proceedings.
“Since the beginning of the Swords of Iron war, I had taken a position that criminal law is not the correct tool to deal with terrorism in general and Hamas terrorism in particular.
"We need a new infrastructure that is suited to dealing with lowly murderers who committed barbaric rape and massacre which criminal law cannot understand in general," he added
Back in 1961, the Israel Public Defense declined to provide representation for Otto Adolf Eichmann, a former Nazi officer apprehended by Israel's Mossad intelligence agency in May 1960 in Argentina. Eichmann subsequently faced trial before the Supreme Court of Israel.
Consequently, Eichmann had to secure legal representation by bringing a lawyer from Germany.
The extensively covered trial of Eichmann, a close associate of Adolf Hitler and a significant orchestrator of the Holocaust, culminated in his conviction in Jerusalem, leading to his execution in 1962. Eichmann faced charges for crimes against the Jewish people, as well as crimes against humanity and war crimes committed under the Nazi regime.
(With Agency Inputs)
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