Four anti-government activists detained for setting fire to dumpsters near the prime minister’s residence were ordered freed to supervised house arrest Sunday afternoon, after spending weeks in jail.

The decision was handed down in the Jerusalem District Court by Judge Mordechai Borstein. The defendants will remain in custody until Tuesday, however, after the prosecution was granted a stay, allowing it to prepare an appeal to the Supreme Court.

The defendants — Lt. Col. (res.) Amos Doron, 60, Shmuel Reuveni, 57, Eyal Giller, 54, and Mark Foigel, 57 — were charged last month in court with arson, causing property damage and obstructing justice.

Prosecutors charged three of the defendants with torching dumpsters in Jerusalem’s Rehavia neighborhood during a day of mass protests for the return of the hostages, while the fourth defendant, Foigel, is accused of organizing the attacks.

The blazes forced locals to evacuate their homes and destroyed a nearby car. Prosecutors said the effort was coordinated with the aim of creating a “ring of fire” around Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s home.

Escorted by prison guards, the four men shuffled into the courtroom in handcuffs at around 2 p.m. The hearing lasted some two hours. In attendance were the defendants’ family members and The Democrats MK Naama Lazimi, an ardent supporter of the anti-government protest movement.

Four anti-government activists, in detention now nearly two months for setting fire to dumpsters........

© The Times of Israel