Surgeon suspected of organ trafficking extradited
Prof. Michael Zis lands in Israel after being held by Ukraine for two years, taken in for questioning by police. Court releases him under limiting conditions
Prof. Michael Zis, an Israeli surgeon suspected of organ trafficking, landed in Israel on Tuesday morning after being held in detention in Ukraine for about two years. Immediately after his extradition and arrival in Israel, he was arrested and taken in for questioning by the police. Zis was then taken to a court and released under limiting conditions.
In an initial interrogation Zis claimed he had nothing to do with organ trafficking deals, but the police say they have incriminating evidence, including phone calls which, according to the investigators, show he was fully involved in the financial matters.
On Tuesday afternoon, Nazareth Magistrate's Court Judge Yifat Shitrit accepted the agreement between the sides and decided to release Zis under limiting conditions. He was ordered not to contact any of the people involved in the affair for 60 years, pay NIS 120,000 (about $32,418) in bail and deposit his passport.
"It's a shame this didn't happen two years ago, but it's better late than never," said Zis' lawyer, Attorney Eran Avital. "If the claims of organ trafficking were true, I assume the procedure would be completely difference. The chance of an indictment being filed over these offenses is close to nothing."
Zis' wife and other relatives also arrived at the court. "He didn't commit any offense. He is simply helping people who had no life," one of the family members said.
The affair dates back to 2007, when Israeli authorities arrested and convicted two residents of Haifa – Muhammad Taha Jat, also knows as John Allen, and Hassan Zahalka – for soliciting four people to illegally donate their kidneys for a NIS 7,000 (about $1,800) payment.
The two targeted people from a low socioeconomic background, manipulated them into the procedure and arranged for them to fly to Ukraine, where Zis operated on them for a fee of about $125,000. Upon returning to Israel, the four discovered that they were swindled.
Zis was arrested in early 2008 for his involvement in the affair. The Ukrainian authorities sought to charge him with organ trafficking, but following an 18-month investigation, the charges were amended to breaking the transplant law.
According to the prosecution, the eventual decision to commute his sentence stemmed from the fact that his offenses were "relatively mild" and "because he has a minor daughter".
Prof. Zis' wife, Ela, told Ynet following the decision to extradite her husband, "They have been throwing garbage on him for two years, and I'm sick of it. Everyone has been publishing different libels about him, including that he kidnapped children and sold their organs."
Aviad Glickman contributed to this report
