The Central District Court ruled at noon (Thursday) that Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto, leader of the Shuva Yisrael congregation, will not be released from prison.
The District Court thus accepted the state's petition against the decision of the Parole Committee at the Israel Prison Service to shorten Rabbi Pinto's sentence, due to his health condition.
Attorney Rotem Tobol, Rabbi Pinto's attorney, attacked the court's decision: "Unfortunately, Rabbi, the court proved today that there is one law for the general public and another law for Rabbi Pinto. There was no reason to reject the appeal request of the rabbi, who met all the conditions for early release that all prisoners meet.".
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She added: "The rabbi expressed deep and sincere remorse and met all the necessary conditions for rehabilitation, but unfortunately the public atmosphere had an impact and entered the hearing room, which should not have happened. We intend to appeal to the Supreme Court out of the belief that there are judges in Jerusalem there, where we will demand the pound of justice that the rabbi deserves, just like every person in the State of Israel.".
About a week ago, the Attorney General's Office filed a petition with the Central District Court against the Parole Board's decision to shorten Rabbi Pinto's sentence. The Attorney General's Office requested that the board's decision be overturned and that the release be delayed until a ruling is issued on the petition - a request that was accepted by the court.
The state claimed in the petition that the Parole Board erred in determining that Rabbi Pinto met the burden of proof required for early release, despite the serious circumstances of the offense, the rabbi's attitude towards the offenses, and the confidential information that was placed before it, alongside the Israel Police's assessment of the significance of the information and its implications for his future dangerousness.
""The committee's decision did not give due weight to the data presented to it and did not strike a proper balance between them, and therefore is deficient in a lack of reasonableness that justifies judicial intervention," the prosecution argued.
The Attorney General's Office noted the assessment of the Israel Police on the matter, which supports the non-early release of Pinto. "The Israel Police opposed the early release of the prisoner, referring to the collection of information, which indicates the prisoner's extensive connections in the criminal world, his senior status among senior criminals, and as a result - his criminal abilities. The Israel Police found that in light of the above, there is a danger in the early release of the prisoner.".
The family of the late Lieutenant Colonel Ephraim Bracha also harshly attacked the state for shortening Pinto's sentence by a third.
The statement issued by the family said: "We hope that the court will see beyond the smokescreen and Pinto's lies, will hear the blood of our beloved Ephraim crying from the ground, and will send a clear message in its decision to the Israeli police that the state stands behind them.".
According to the family, "The decision to release sends a serious message to all Israeli officers and police officers, telling them not to report bribe offers but to ignore them, as the perpetrators will not really receive their deserved punishment. Our only consolation is that Pinto will be given the true punishment in a court of law above, where his false apologies will not stand up to him.".
Rabbi Pinto was imprisoned in February of this year, after being convicted in a plea bargain of the offenses of bribing Deputy Commissioner Ephraim Bracha and obstructing legal proceedings. He was also fined one million shekels - which was paid in full.
