The Israeli Magistrate Court refused Thursday Israeli prosecution’s demand to extend MK Bassel Ghattas’ house arrest Israeli media sources revealed.
Yediot Ahronot Hebrew newspaper pointed out that the prosecution asked for extending his detention for an additional 30 days a request denied by the court.
Earlier Thursday the attorney general approved the indictment of MK Ghattas on charges of smuggling cellphones to Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli custody.
The indictment charged Ghattas with suspicions of “illegally smuggling phones into a prison prohibited use of property for terrorist purposes and deceit and breach of trust by a public servant and aggravated fraud.”
Last month Ghattas was detained on suspicions of smuggling cellphones to Palestinian prisoners serving time in Israeli prisons after being stripped of his parliamentary immunity.
After several days spent in detention Ghattas was sentenced to 10 days of house arrest last week a few days before the Israeli Knesset banned the MK from parliamentary activities for six months.
