“The anti-terrorist ordinance promulgated by the Israeli Government following the assassination of Count Folke Bernadotte is not retroactive and consequently a person who committed a terrorist act before the law went into effect cannot now be charged with its violation,” Minister of Justice Dr, Felix Rosenblueth declared today.
He made his statement in the Acre military court where Nathan Friedman-Yellin and his aide. M. Shmulevitz, are being tried on charges of terrorism. He added, how-ever, that a person can be charged retroactively with membership in a terrorist organization.
Two other principal witnesses today were Minister, of Interior Dr. Itzhak Gruenbaum and Police Inspector-General Yechezkiel Sachar. Dr. Gruenbaum told the court the present anti-terrorist ordinance is not “fascist, but democratic” since it gives defendants a chance to prove their innocence.
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