Israeli court acquits officer of killing autistic Palestinian

An Israeli court on Thursday acquitted a police officer of recklessly killing an unarmed Palestinian man with autism in Jerusalem's Old City.

Iyad Hallak, 32, was shot dead in May 2020 while walking in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, after officers mistook him for an armed assailant.

The Jerusalem district court said the defendant was "acquitted" of "reckless homicide", in a decision decried by Hallak's mother as "injustice".

The officer standing trial "made an honest mistake thinking he was dealing with an armed terrorist who posed a real danger", the court said, noting he had expressed "remorse" for his fatal error.

Hallak's family had said he had the mental age of an eight-year-old, and witnesses said he panicked after being shouted at by police.

Hallak had aroused the suspicion of officers as he milled close to a border police position near Jerusalem's Old City, the court said in its decision.

The officers approached him and yelled at him to stop, causing Hallak to run away, the court added.

The defendant joined the chase and another officer shot towards the Palestinian's legs but missed, the court found.

Hallak then entered an alley, where the defendant shot and hit him in the leg.

Hallak then stood up and pointed at a woman he knew who had rushed to the scene, prompting the defendant to fatally shoot him in the chest.

His mother, Rana Hallak, told AFP after the verdict was pronounced: "My son is now in the grave and his killer is relaxing and going out and having a good time, and this is a particular injustice."

"(Iyad) created a special atmosphere within the family," she added, sitting beside portraits or her son.

The officer was charged over Hallak's killing in June 2021.

Israel's justice ministry said the previous October that he had not followed police rules for opening fire, and that Hallak had "posed no danger to police or civilians at the scene".

At the time, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas called Hallak's death a "war crime" and an "execution", while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described it as a "tragedy".

His funeral drew thousands of mourners, while online hashtag #PalestinianLivesMatter echoed the fury of mass protests against police violence and racism in the United States.