Belarusian Mother Seeks Daughter's Body, Grandson's Custody After Haifa Murder

Anna Rusinova of Gomel, Belarus, learned on September 29 that her 30-year-old daughter, Yanina (Yana) Rusinova, had died in Haifa, Israel, five days earlier. Yana's connection was lost in the last ten days of September, shortly after the birth of her first child. According to her mother, Yana's relationship with her Israeli husband, Ali Maswadeh, had deteriorated due to his intense jealousy and accusations of infidelity. Yana was last heard from via a friend's phone, stating her own phone was broken by her husband and she would call her mother later. Anna's attempts to contact her son-in-law on September 25 went unanswered.

Yana was found with severe neck injuries in her Haifa apartment on September 24 and later pronounced dead at Rambam Hospital. Maswadeh, 28, was arrested and claims Yana inflicted the injuries herself while he attempted to save her. Anna Rusinova stated that after her grandson's birth, Yana's life became 'hell,' with the burden of childcare falling solely on her and Yana expressing a desire to leave her husband.

Rusinova now wishes to repatriate her daughter's body to Belarus for burial near her Jewish grandmother and to raise her 2-month-old grandson. She has enlisted the help of Michal Sela Forum founder Lily Ben-Ami, an organization supporting victims of domestic violence. Ben-Ami has contacted Israeli authorities, including the police, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Justice, to facilitate Rusinova's requests. Initial reports suggested the husband decided the burial location, but a police investigator clarified this is not the case. A preliminary permit for transporting Yana's body to Belarus was granted on September 30.

The custody of the infant remains unresolved. Ben-Ami is advocating for legal changes to restrict parental rights of those accused of murdering their spouse. The infant is currently in foster care. Meanwhile, friends of Yana have provided information to the police regarding alleged domestic violence preceding her death. At a court hearing on September 25, the suspect's lawyer stated Maswadeh called emergency services himself. The court extended his arrest for four days, emphasizing the need to thoroughly investigate his version of events.