Ghazi Falah, a Palestinian with dual Israel-Canadian citizenship and who now works at the University of Akron in Ohio, is to return to the United States soon, his family said.
He was accused of taking pictures of military installations along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon on July 8, during a visit to a beach. Israeli authorities alleged he was spying for Hezbollah, but never charged him.
Falah had been in Israel to visit his sick mother near Nazareth, according to his son, Suhaib Falah, who lives in Toronto.
“It takes so much pressure off my mind and it’s just so heart-warming to hear his voice and know he’s alive and he’s OK,” he told CBC News. Falah’s family said the Israeli-Canadian was sightseeing when he was arrested and did not realize he had taken a picture of a military antenna.
His lawyer, Hussein abu-Hussein, said he was not allowed to meet or talk to his client before a court appearance on July 26, when the Haifa District Court ordered security officials to either free Falah or to indict him by Sunday. Abu-Hussein alleged that Falah had been sleep deprived for more than 60 hours while in custody and constantly interrogated.
