Prosecution Admits Providing False Information to Israeli Supreme Court in Kastelman Case

The family of Yuval Kastelman, who was fatally shot by Aviyad Frigya during a terrorist attack at the entrance to Jerusalem in November 2023, has been fighting for two and a half years against investigative failures. On Saturday evening, it was revealed that the Israeli prosecution submitted false information to the Supreme Court and was forced to correct its statement following a Channel 13 inquiry. The prosecution had relied on a report by police doctor Michael Herman, a key figure in the case, who was never questioned by the Police Investigations Department nor gave testimony. After the media inquiry, the prosecution amended its court submission, acknowledging the initial information was unreliable.

In May, three months after the Chief Military Prosecutor, Major General Itai Ophir, rejected a plea deal offered by retired Sergeant Aviyad Frigya, the trial entered the evidentiary phase. Frigya is charged with negligent homicide of Kastelman, who had helped neutralize the terrorists involved in the Jerusalem attack. Frigya had sought to plead guilty to a lesser charge of causing death by negligence, but the prosecution declined and opted for a full trial.

The hearing began with testimony from eyewitness Amit Paz, who described the shooting moments at the Jerusalem entrance. Paz testified that Kastelman was bleeding heavily and rescue forces did not approach him, despite his attempts to show he was not a threat by raising his hands, removing his coat, and throwing away his wallet. Kastelman was shot multiple times in the abdomen, fell to the ground, and was seen bleeding through his shirt. Kastelman, a 38-year-old lawyer from Mevaseret Zion working in the Civil Service Commission, was killed after Frigya mistakenly identified him as a terrorist and shot him despite Kastelman’s clear gestures pleading for his life.