Soufir in court
Photo: Niv Calderon
The victim, Taisir Karaki
Reproduction photo: Yaron Brener
Psychiatrists: Murderer of Arab taxi driver unfit to stand trial
Victim's family members infuriated by the ruling, say 'he can't get off like that'
Julien Soufir, who allegedly killed Arab taxi driver Taisir Karaki about a month ago, is unfit to stand trial, according to the psychiatrist recommendation submitted to the Tel Aviv District Court.
Karaki's family members, who were in the courtroom, were infuriated by the ruling and claimed that the findings were discriminatory because they were Arabs.
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"It is inconceivable that they decide he will get off the hook just like that," they said. "We are certain he had accomplices too. That's what they told us at the police, that he couldn't have committed the murder alone. We cannot understand why they released his brother, who was found with a blood-stained shirt."
Karaki's widow said that their little daughter still cried often and asked why Daddy wasn't coming home.
"This man killed our whole family, not only Taisir," said his father. He added that they had been offered no help by the state.
High Court petition
The family's attorney said that they had petitioned to the High Court of Justice, requesting the investigation material.
The defendant's side has expressed regret. Yonatan, a friend, said of Soufir that his condition had been severe for several months. "He was examined by psychiatrists who released him home after the tests. We are very sorry for what happened, but the family did what they could to help him."
According to the indictment, after ensuring that Karaki was an Arab, Soufir got in the taxi and drove from Jerusalem to Netanya. There, he took a knife and continued with Karaki to Tel Aviv. He offered Karaki to use his bathroom and waited for him to come out. He then stabbed Karaki in the throat and neck 24 times. He stole NIS 60 (about $14.5) from the victim's pocket and drove the taxi to Netanya.
During his investigation Soufir said he had decided to murder an Arab taxi driver because of his hatred for Arabs. He said: "I felt nothing, like killing an animal. Arabs are like animals, they have no soul... like animals..."
The prosecutor, Anat Ben-Ze'ev, said that the prosecution would continue their attempts to put Soufir to trial. She said that her office staff would investigate the psychiatrists and that hopefully the judges would reject their opinion and decide to try him.
Soufir's remand was extended until the end of the procedures. He is spending his remand in a psychiatric hospital, as he has been classified psychotic.
His trial has been scheduled for September 4.
