Israeli court seeks harsher sentence

JERUSALEM, July 1 (UPI) -- Israel's High Court of Justice ordered the military prosecutor to hand down stiffer sentences to soldiers involved in shooting a cuffed Palestinian last year.

The three judges unanimously accepted a petition filed by victim Ashraf Abu Rahmeh and four human rights organizations against the military prosecutor, the Maariv daily reported. They demanded the accused be given stiffer sentences more fitting with the crime, the newspaper said.

The incident occurred in the West Bank village of Naálin when troops were called in to quell violent clashes. The officer ordered a soldier to shoot Rahmeh, who was handcuffed and blindfolded. Rahmeh was lightly injured in the foot.

Shortly after the shooting, the military prosecutor charged the officer and soldier with improper conduct and the officer was removed from his position as battalion commander, Maariv said.

Displeased with the military prosecutor's ruling, Rahmeh and the human rights organizations decided to appeal to the High Court, the newspaper said.

"One must not diminish the value of the important steps already taken against the officer and soldier, However a clear difference must be distinguished between the purpose and objective obtained by taking disciplinary action and those when enforcing the law by taking criminal action," the newspaper quoted Wednesday's court ruling saying.