Palestinian handed 30-month sentence for trying to sell illegally obtained lion cub |
A Palestinian man found guilty of attempting to sell a lion cub was sentenced to 30 months in prison by an Israeli military court in the West Bank on Tuesday.
The man was indicted last April by the Nature and Parks Authority and was accused of purchasing the lion cub and holding it captive in his yard while attempting to find a potential buyer for it. He was also indicted for owning an illegally obtained M-16 rifle.
The 30-month sentence was handed down by the Judea Military Court as part of a plea deal requiring the defendant to plead guilty to all offenses, the Ynet news outlet reported. He was also ordered to pay a NIS 5,000 fine.
WhatsApp conversations found on the phone of the defendant showed that he had been trying to sell the lion cub for NIS 50,000, according to Ynet. He had also offered to sell other illegally obtained animals to interested parties, including a tiger and monkeys.
The report noted that law enforcement efforts to locate the lion cub were unsuccessful, and none of the other animals he claimed to have had in his possession were found.
The chief prosecutor of the Nature and Parks Authority, attorney Shai........