Israeli Court Finds Insufficient Evidence to Link Ex-Girlfriend to Murder

Jerusalem District Court has ruled that there is insufficient evidence to prove that Agam Zarfi, the former girlfriend of murder victim Beniyagu Razi, and her friend Shilat Huta were directly involved in Razi's killing. However, the court found grounds to suspect both women of aiding and abetting the murder. The court's decision was announced on the evening of October 19. Lawyers Roi Politi and Omri Shtern, from the Public Defense Service representing Zarfi, stated that the court accepted their argument that Zarfi did not participate in planning the murder or wish for Razi's death, rejecting the prosecution's stance. The defense also alleged that Zarfi experienced cruel and humiliating treatment by prison officials since her arrest. The court has requested probation services to prepare reports on both accused women to consider their conditional release from custody. The legal proceedings against the accused are not over, and the question of their continued detention remains open. Razi was found with severe stab wounds on July 11 in an Airbnb-rented apartment in Jerusalem's Nachlaot neighborhood and later died in the hospital. Investigators believed the motive for the murder was revenge by his ex-girlfriend, who is allegedly connected to a criminal clan. The events in the apartment were streamed online, and investigators suspected Zarfi and Huta watched the killing live before allegedly helping the perpetrators escape.