October 25, 2012

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel’s state prosecutor, saying the government has not approved a plan to arrest Sudanese asylum seekers, rejected a petition by Israeli human rights organizations to prevent its implementation.

“So far, no order has been issued to detain the infiltrators from Sudan,” the State Prosecutor’s Office said Thursday in replying to the petition regarding the plan by Interior Minister Eli Yishai. “If such an order is issued in the future, it will be officially released by the (Immigration and Population) Authority 30 days before it takes effect.” 

Six human rights groups had filed a petition in Jerusalem District Court against the plan announced Aug. 28 by Yishai that all Sudanese asylum seekers would be arrested and detained if they did not leave Israel by until Oct. 15. This month, the court issued an injunction against the plan until a hearing scheduled for the end of October.

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