Man sentenced for throwing firebombs at migrants
02/17/2013 13:39
21-year-old receives 6 months community service for throwing Molotov cocktails at buildings housing African migrants in TA.
African migrant woman, South TA Photo: Ben Hartman
A 21-year-old man who pleaded guilty to making Molotov cocktails for use in
attacks on African migrants last year in Tel Aviv was sentenced on Sunday to six
months community service, three years suspended sentence, and a NIS 1,000
fine.
In his ruling, Judge Oded Madruk said that while the crimes in
question are serious, the case was a circumstantial one plagued by a severe
shortage of evidence directly linking Haim Mula to the making of the firebombs
or the throwing of them at the buildings housing migrants.
In the end,
Mula confessed only to making four of the eight firebombs used in the attacks
last April 26th, but there was little evidence linking him to the crime, and
none indicating that he threw the firebombs at the buildings - which included a
kindergarten where four children were sleeping at the time - according to
Madruk.
Madruk said he also took into account the fact that Mula is 21
years old and has no criminal record, and already served two months in jail in
difficult conditions immediately after the crime. He also said that Mula
expressed remorse for his crimes and has learned his lesson, and that the fact
that no people were harmed in the attacks played a role in the
sentencing.
Madruk also questioned the issuing of the indictment in spite
of the shortage of evidence, asking if it was issued in order to spur Mula to
confess for the crimes.