Arrested in Greece after helping Israelis in a fight: "We heard Hebrew and wanted to help"
Two young Israelis awaiting military service were detained in Greece on suspicion of weapon possession after sheltering a group of compatriots fleeing a brawl. Following a day in custody, the court ordered their release, confirming they were the victims of the attack.
L. and Y., two young men who recently finished 12th grade and are preparing for their military draft, were vacationing in Malia, Crete, when they were detained by local police on Sunday following an incident the previous night.
"Our children were in their room; they hadn't gone out to party for the two nights leading up to the incident," the mother of one of the men told N12. "They heard shouting in Hebrew, let other young people into their room, and didn't think for a moment that they might get into trouble." After about a day in detention, both were released and are now making arrangements to return to Israel.
According to the families, the two had chosen to stay in their room on Saturday night. Late at night, they heard calls for help in Hebrew and opened their door to a group of young Israelis who had been involved in a confrontation.
"They entered the room and explained that the conflict started outside a venue after they sang 'Al Al Israel' and encountered anti-Israel reactions," the mother said.
Seeing that a large group was pursuing them with objects, the Israelis had panicked and grabbed whatever they could find for protection. The two men opened their door to offer refuge and locked themselves inside while attempting to call for help. The following morning, a maid discovered a garden hoe left behind by one of the guests, photographed it, and alerted the police.
"The boys said that over ten police officers broke down the door and took them to the station on suspicion of possessing a cold weapon, even though the hoe did not belong to them," the mother added. The families immediately hired a local attorney to handle the case.
Attorney Nir Yaslovich, representing the pair, stated:
"I welcome the court's decision today to release my clients from detention, after it was clearly and sharply proven that they were the ones who had been attacked."
