Israeli-Canadian Freed From Iraqi Kurdistan Prison After 11 Years

Ben Hassin, an Israeli-Canadian citizen of Kurdish origin, returned to Israel on Friday after serving eleven years in an Iraqi Kurdistan prison. Hassin, 31, had traveled to Iraqi Kurdistan in 2015 to visit family and subsequently decided to join Kurdish forces fighting the Islamic State organization. His imprisonment began following the death of a taxi driver in Sulaymaniyah. Hassin claims the driver threatened him after overhearing him speak Hebrew, and that he acted in self-defense. In 2020, local courts sentenced him to death, a sentence later commuted amid international advocacy for his release, particularly from ultra-Orthodox organizations in the U.S. and Europe. An agreement was reached with the deceased driver's family, leading to the lifting of the death sentence. Kurdish authorities recently reduced his sentence further due to his conduct in detention, enabling his release on Wednesday and subsequent departure to Israel. In his first interview since returning, Hassin spoke of the psychological toll of facing execution and the particular risks he felt due to his Israeli and Jewish identity. Upon arrival, he recited the traditional Jewish blessing for significant occasions. His father stated Ben Hassin is still in shock. Various figures, including former politician Ayoob Kara, American lawyer Allen Lowy, and former Israeli Foreign Ministry official Eyal Siso, were involved in efforts for his release over the years.