Haifa Court Orders Immediate Release of Two German Tourists Arrested Over Prison Photos
A Haifa court ordered the immediate release of two German tourists arrested near Damon Prison on suspicion of espionage after security forces confirmed the incident involved no threat.
A magistrates court in Haifa ordered the immediate release of two German tourists who were arrested near the Damon Prison on Mount Carmel on suspicion of espionage and aiding the enemy. The two men, identified as 57-year-old Gerald Wolf Mondel and 55-year-old Joachim Oliver Lange, spent two nights behind bars before the court dismissed the severe allegations.
Prison guards detained the tourists on Saturday evening after noticing them photographing the exterior of the Damon Prison. They were subsequently handed over to the Nesher police station. However, the Shin Bet security agency quickly determined that the incident had no connection to espionage and left the investigation in the hands of the police.
During a closed-door hearing, Judge Orit Kantor accepted the arguments presented by the public defenders, Bassam Kandelft and Fares Brik, and lifted the gag order on the case. The judge emphasized that she found no evidence supporting the espionage suspicions and noted that photographing the outside of a prison is not prohibited under Israeli law.
"I believe discretion should have been exercised, especially when Israeli public diplomacy is not at its peak these days," Judge Kantor stated in the protocol. She ordered the tourists released without bail and instructed police to return their confiscated personal belongings, including mobile phones, before escorting them back to their vehicle near the prison so they can continue their trip.
