President Chaim Herzog yesterday granted clemency to Uri Maier, a member of the Jewish terrorist underground in the West Bank, who was serving a 30-month sentence. He was immediately released from jail.
Maier underwent spinal surgery recently and his medical condition was the primary factor in the decision to grant him clemency. Justice Minister Moshe Nissim, on whose recommendation Herzog acted, made it clear that this case will not set a precedent nor does it indicate any change of policy toward the Jewish underground.
Maier is the first of the more than 20 members of the underground serving sentences for crimes of violence against Arabs in the West Bank to receive clemency. He was convicted for his role in the June, 1980 car-bomb attacks on three Arab mayors.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
