An Israeli court has temporarily halted an unusual project to use crocodiles to guard the Ktziot prison in the Negev desert. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Jerusalem Post.
The prison holds Palestinians accused or convicted of terrorism-related offenses. The idea was proposed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Under his plan, deep trenches were to be dug around part of the prison and filled with crocodiles. It was assumed that the predators would serve as an additional security measure and deter inmates from escaping.
The animal rights organization Let The Animals Live opposed the project. Its representatives stated that using crocodiles for such purposes is illegal and could harm both the animals and the environment.
The Jerusalem District Court supported the animal rights activists' demand and temporarily banned the project's implementation. The court also prohibited authorities from taking any action until the government presents its position. This is expected to happen by mid-August.
According to Israeli media, preparations for the project's launch have already begun. Trenches have been dug around the prison, and about 21 million shekels (approximately 3.25 billion tenge) were allocated for the pilot project.
Ben-Gvir himself sharply criticized the court's decision. According to him, the judicial system "has sided with terrorists" and is hindering measures to ensure the country's security.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that a resident of Aktobe appealed to Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry for help for her 24-year-old son, who has been in a Greek prison for almost two years. According to the woman, Rashid Kadirov was sentenced to 125 years in prison for illegal transportation of migrants.