Israeli Citizen Freed From Kurdish Prison After 11 Years, Escapes Death Sentence

Ben (Binyamin) Hasin, a Canadian Jew with Israeli citizenship, has been released from a Kurdish prison in Iraq after 11 years of incarceration, narrowly escaping a death sentence. He is expected to arrive in Israel in the coming days. Hasin was involved in a conflict that resulted in the death of a local Kurd, leading to his conviction and a potential death penalty.

His release was secured through a reconciliation agreement reached with the victim's family, which led to the commutation of his death sentence. Upon his freedom, Hasin recited a prayer and expressed gratitude to Eyal Siso, a former senior Israeli Foreign Ministry official, for his significant assistance in securing his release. An international lawyer, Alan (Avraham) Lavi, also played a crucial role, supported by a group of American public figures including Hershel Gatdiner, Shimon Relnicky, Meir Zvi Toiber, and Shlomo Lando.

According to YWN, agreements were also made with the Jerusalem-based organization "Ash ha-Torah," which will enroll Hasin in an educational program upon his arrival in Israel. A fundraising effort is underway to help Hasin with his adaptation, covering tuition, clothing, and other basic needs as part of his rehabilitation.

Hasin, of Kurdish descent, had traveled to Kurdistan 11 years ago to visit relatives and join the Peshmerga forces fighting ISIS. The incident leading to his arrest occurred when the driver transporting him recognized him as Israeli and attempted to attack him. Hasin, acting in self-defense, shot the driver, who later died from his injuries. Hasin was detained in June 2015 and charged with murder.

The case was kept confidential until November 2016, when then-Deputy Minister of Regional Cooperation Ayoub Kara publicly disclosed it. Kara stated he was in contact with Hasin's father and working towards his son's release. Kara's post, which included a photo with Hasin's father and a video about the case, was later removed due to military censorship following a request from the Foreign Ministry, with security officials criticizing the disclosure for potentially harming the case.