The Tel Aviv District Court accepted a defense petition and canceled a prosecution-requested indictment-reading hearing scheduled for tomorrow for Yonatan Urich, a Netanyahu aide. The court agreed that the prosecution failed to provide the required 14-day notice for such a hearing, which the defense called an illegal maneuver.
The Tel Aviv District Court on Thursday blocked the prosecution's attempt to expedite an indictment-reading hearing for Yonatan Urich, a senior aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The prosecution had requested the hearing for the following day, but Urich's lawyers — attorneys Amit Hadad and Noa Milstein — filed a petition arguing the request was an illegal procedural shortcut, as such hearings require 14 days' notice. The court accepted the argument and ruled that the hearing will not take place as scheduled.
As The Zioneer has reported, Urich faces charges including passing secret information with intent to harm state security and destroying evidence. In prior proceedings, judges rejected prosecution bids to restrict Urich's contact with Netanyahu and to remand him, ruling he did not pose a flight risk or threat to the investigation. The defense has consistently argued that the prosecution is engaged in a campaign to isolate the prime minister from his staff.
The canceled hearing means the formal reading of the indictment, a procedural step before trial, is delayed indefinitely. The prosecution has not announced whether it will reschedule with proper notice.
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