Prisoner dies in custody one month after beginning his sentence for sex offenses
Arie Gottlieb, 76, who was convicted of severe sex offenses against a complainant who was 11 years old at the time of the acts, died at the "Magan Nitzan" detention center. The Israel Prison Service (IPS) stated that a team has been appointed to examine the circumstances of his death.
Criminal prisoner Arie Gottlieb (76), from the "Magan Nitzan" detention center, passed away today, Saturday, at the facility. The Israel Prison Service stated that his medical condition is protected by privacy laws and that, as is customary in every case of a prisoner's death, an investigative team has been appointed to examine the circumstances of the incident.
Gottlieb, a sex offender and chronic patient, had been hospitalized at the IPS Medical Center since he began serving his sentence. He started serving a 24-year prison sentence on July 21, 2026, after the commencement of his sentence had been postponed.
The District Court in Haifa sentenced him last June to 24 years in prison after he was convicted of committing severe sex offenses against a complainant who was 11 years old at the time of the acts. According to the verdict, the offenses were committed between 1997 and 2001, after Gottlieb had extended his patronage to the girl's family members and exploited his proximity to them to harm her many times.
In the sentencing, the court noted that many years had passed until the complainant was able to file a complaint, and that the consequences of the acts remained with her years later. The judges emphasized that even Gottlieb's medical condition and age could not outweigh the severity of the acts, and sentenced him to a lengthy prison term.
