Israeli Held 10 Years in Iraq, Facing Death Sentence, Freed

Binyamin Ben Limor, an Israeli who spent over a decade imprisoned in Iraq and was sentenced to death, is set to return to Israel in the coming days. His release was facilitated by a legal agreement reached in late 2025, which overturned a death sentence issued by an Iraqi court in 2020.

Ben Limor's ordeal began in 2014 when he traveled to Iraqi Kurdistan to visit his grandparents. At the time, ISIS was seizing territory in the region, and he joined local efforts to defend against the militants. In 2015, he was ambushed by a taxi driver who, upon hearing Hebrew, threatened to turn him over to terrorists.

During a struggle that ensued, the taxi driver was injured and later died. Ben Limor was subsequently arrested, subjected to harsh interrogations, and sentenced to death by hanging. His legal team and other specialists worked extensively to overturn the severe punishment and arrange his return home.

Before his arrival in Israel, Ben Limor plans to undergo rehabilitation. The organization Aish HaTorah in Jerusalem has offered him a place in a special program at its study hall in the Old City, providing him with clothing, religious items, and support for adapting to civilian life after his prolonged imprisonment.