Canadian-Israeli Man Freed From Kurdistan Prison After 11 Years

Ben Hassin, a Canadian citizen with Israeli nationality of Kurdish descent, has been released from prison in Kurdistan after serving 11 years and is expected to arrive in Israel in the coming days. Hassin was imprisoned following a dispute that led to the death of a Kurdish man, and for years faced a potential death sentence.

His release was secured through a reconciliation process with the family of the deceased. Funds were raised last year for this reconciliation, and with the family's agreement, the death sentence against Hassin was lifted. Upon his release, Hassin recited the "Shehecheyanu" blessing and thanked Eyal Siso, a former senior official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who he said greatly assisted in the efforts for his release.

The efforts to free Hassin were led by international lawyer Alan (Avraham) Loewy, along with a group of activists from the United States, including Hershel Guttman, Shimon Ralinitzky, Meir Zvi Toiber, and Shlomo Landau. Lawyer Mordechai Tzivin was also involved in the efforts.

Clarifications were issued by the activists regarding previous reports on the case. They stated that information published about a year ago concerning Hassin's arrest, which claimed some details were incorrect, was later found to be false information provided due to deception.

Hassin, now 31, arrived in Kurdistan 11 years ago to visit family and fight alongside the Peshmerga forces against ISIS. According to his family's account, while being driven on a break from combat, the driver discovered he was Israeli and attempted to kill him. Hassin, who was armed, shot the driver in what was described as self-defense. The driver died days later, and Hassin was arrested in June 2015 and charged with murder.

The case was kept secret for some time until November 2016, when then-Deputy Minister for Regional Cooperation Ayoub Kara publicly revealed it. Kara posted about being in contact with Ilan Hassin, the young man's father, and attempting to secure his release. Kara stated the young man had joined the Peshmerga to fight ISIS and that the incident occurred when the driver discovered his Israeli nationality and tried to kill him. Kara's post was later removed following military censorship after the Foreign Ministry requested its removal, with security officials criticizing Kara's actions for potentially causing harm.

Following his release, Hassin is expected to join the "Ash HaTorah" organization in Jerusalem to study. A small fundraising effort is also being organized to help him with his absorption in Israel, including tuition registration, clothing purchases, and other basic needs as he begins his rehabilitation.