Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit has decided to close the investigation against the Shin Bet officials who were suspected of severely injuring the terrorist who murdered Rina Shnerb during an interrogation. The investigation was opened following a serious deterioration in the health of Samar Arbid and his hospitalization following an interrogation by the Shin Bet and complaints which were filed alleging torture by the Shin Bet. As part of the investigation, a number of Shin Bet interrogators were questioned on suspicion of unlawful use of force, statements were collected from witnesses, documents were seized and an opinion was obtained from the Institute of Forensic Medicine. After examining the evidence, in accordance with the recommendation of the investigation team and the opinion of all the officials in the State Attorney's Office who accompanied the handling of the investigation, the Attorney General decided to shelve the investigation file in the absence of sufficient evidence to prove an offense. Upon rendering the decision, the Attorney General instructed the security establishment to act to implement the required lessons from the incident. At the beginning of the investigation, a restraining order was issued preventing the publication of its very existence and all its details for reasons of state security. At the request of the Department of Internal Police, the order has now been reduced in scope, but publication of the details of the investigation is still prohibited. The Shin Bet said that the organization fully cooperated with the DIPI investigation and welcomed the decision to close the investigation file. The organization also stated that the information obtained in Arbid's interrogation led to the seizure of many weapons which were intended to be used in terrorist attacks as well as the thwarting of several attacks by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman said that he "supports the Shin Bet investigators who carried out their mission professionally, stately and according to law, and in their action saved the lives of many Israelis."
