The High Court rejected once again Wednesday a request by lawyers representing Shuvu Banim head Rabbi Eliezer Berland to release him to house arrest.
The judge ruled that he should be detained until the end of the legal proceedings being conducted against him.
Rabbi Berland had been arrested in July and indicted on various charges of sexual assault.
Last night a large number of his hasidim from all around the country gathered in the Cave of Machpela in Hevron where they said Tehillim and other prayers for his speedy release.
Two months ago the High Court rejected an appeal from Rabbi Berland’s lawyers against his detainment until the end of proceedings.
The lawyers claimed that his precarious health situation does not allow him to be kept in prison conditions and demanded his release.
Judge Yoram Danziger stressed that he was not convinced based on the medical documents submitted to him that Rabbi Berland’s release from jail was justified.
He added that despite claims to the contrary by the rabbi’s lawyers, there was no evidence that prison authorities were incapable of taking care of his health.
Judge Danziger added that from his investigation of the prison authorities’ conduct, it emerged that despite his being in custody, he is periodically being checked by doctors and was even evacuated to hospital when it was deemed necessary.
