Tel Aviv court convicts four Israeli neo-nazis

Jerusalem Post Apr 10, 2008 9:04 Updated Apr 11, 2008 0:21
By DAN IZENBERG

Tel Aviv District Court convicted four of eight suspects on Thursday who were charged with neo-Nazi activities, following a plea bargain between the Tel Aviv District Attorney's Office and the defendants' lawyers.

A Justice Ministry spokesman said the state would ask for punishments ranging from 15 months to four-and-a-half years, depending on the individual charges regarding each of the defendants and his personal circumstances, such as whether he had a previous criminal record and his family background.
Four other neo-Nazi suspects, suspected of more serious crimes, are still on trial, including the suspected ringleader of the group, Arik Boanayev, 21. The ministry spokesman said the state and lawyers for these four were negotiating a plea bargain.
Those who pleaded guilty on Thursday to the modified indictment were three minors, two from Petah Tikva and one from Holon, and 20-year-old Alex Flich, from Karnei Shomron.
The four suspects still on trial are Boanayev; Eliahu (Ilya) Bonderenko, 21, from Petah Tikva; Kiril Bolenkov, 19, from Holon; and Vladimir Nizvetzov, 18, from Bat Yam.
The suspects were arrested on September 10, 2007. The 22-page indictment, which was filed two days later, included 11 separate charges against one or more of the suspects. The counts included assault in aggravated circumstances, incitement to racism, possession of racist material and conspiracy to commit a crime. Boanayev was included in 10 of the 11 charges.
According to the indictment, the gang had been operating for at least two years. The members called themselves "Patrol 35," and preyed on the weak and minorities; they also desecrated at least two Petah Tikva synagogues. The indictment detailed the members' attacks on foreign workers, drug addicts, homosexuals and others.