Man Sentenced to 22 Years for Fatal Road Rage Shooting

A district court in Nazareth’s jurisdiction, sitting in the city of Nof HaGalil, has sentenced Denis Mokin to 22 years in prison for the murder of 19-year-old Diyar Omri. Mokin was convicted last December of murder with indifference for the 2023 shooting death of Omri, a resident of Sandala, following a dispute over driving behavior on a road in the Gilboa region.

Omri’s mother, Zahra Omri, expressed her grief, stating, "He should have received a life sentence because he cut short a person's life and murdered him in cold blood. Since we lost our only son, we have been living in a difficult mental state and a life that is not a normal life. We planned so much for our son, but it all ended because of this crime."

According to the conviction, Mokin was driving while disqualified and under the influence of drugs and alcohol. When the argument escalated, Mokin exited his vehicle, brandishing a licensed handgun, and fired twice into the air near Omri. A physical altercation ensued, during which Omri attempted to disarm Mokin. Mokin then fired two shots that struck Omri, one hitting his heart and lungs, leading to his death. Mokin fired three additional shots at Omri’s back as Omri tried to return to his car, but these missed.

Mokin fled the scene without calling for help and later returned with his sister, asking her to tell police she was driving to conceal his own illegal driving and intoxication. The court found Mokin’s testimony unreliable and rejected his claims that the fatal shots were accidental discharges during the struggle. The court also dismissed Mokin’s assertion that Omri was a terrorist intending to carry out an attack.

Despite these rejections, the majority of judges ruled that it was not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Mokin intended to kill Omri during the struggle. He was convicted of murder with indifference, as the court determined he fired the shots with disregard for the possibility of causing death.