Ben Hassin, a Canadian Jew with Israeli citizenship and Kurdish roots, has been released after 11 years in prison in Iraqi Kurdistan and is expected to arrive in Israel in the coming days.
Hassin had been imprisoned following a confrontation that led to the death of a Kurdish man and at one point faced the possibility of a death sentence.
Ben Hassin released
(Video: Yeshiva World)
His release was made possible after a sulha, or traditional reconciliation agreement, was reached with the family of the man who died. Money was raised last year to facilitate the agreement, which led to the removal of the death sentence that had been hanging over Hassin.
Upon his release, Hassin recited the Jewish Shehecheyanu blessing, traditionally said to express gratitude on significant occasions, and thanked Eyal Siso, a former senior Israeli Foreign Ministry official who Hassin said had played a major role in efforts to secure his freedom.
Efforts to obtain Hassin’s release were led by international attorney Alan “Avraham” Lowy along with a group of activists in the United States: Hershel Gottdiener, Shimon Rolnitzky, Meir Zvi Tauber and Shlomo Landau.
The activists also issued a clarification regarding previous reports about Hassin’s case. They said information published about a year ago concerning his arrest, which at the time was presented as correcting allegedly inaccurate details about the case, was later found to have itself been incorrect and based on misleading information.
After 11 years behind bars, Hassin is now expected to arrive in Israel in the coming days.
According to a report by Yeshiva World News, arrangements have been made with the Aish HaTorah Jewish educational organization in Jerusalem, and Hassin has been accepted into its introductory program, where he is expected to study after arriving in Israel. His acceptance letter said the yeshiva looked forward to welcoming him to Jerusalem.
From left: attorney Alan Lowy, Ben Hassin and a local attorney
A small fundraising effort is also being organized to help Hassin establish himself in Israel following his release, according to the report. The money is intended to help cover enrollment in his studies, clothing and other basic needs as he begins rebuilding his life after more than a decade in prison.
Arrested after what his family described as self-defense
Hassin, now 31, traveled to Iraqi Kurdistan 11 years ago to visit relatives and fight alongside Kurdish Peshmerga forces against the Islamic State group.
According to an account of the case previously made public by his family and supporters, Hassin was traveling while on leave from fighting when the driver transporting him discovered he was Israeli and attempted to kill him. Hassin, who was armed, shot the driver in what his supporters described as self-defense. The driver died of his wounds several days later.
Hassin was arrested in June 2015 and charged with murder. Because capital punishment is available for murder convictions in Iraqi Kurdistan, there were fears that he could be sentenced to death if convicted.
The case was kept secret for a period before then-Deputy Minister for Regional Cooperation Ayoub Kara publicly disclosed it in November 2016.
In a social media post, Kara said he had been in contact with Hassin’s father, Ilan Hassin, and was working to secure the young man’s release.
Kara said at the time that Hassin, whose family originated in Kurdistan, had traveled there to visit his grandparents before joining Peshmerga forces fighting the Islamic State group. According to Kara’s account, the driver traveling with Hassin discovered he was Israeli and tried to kill him, prompting Hassin, who had a weapon, to shoot him.
Kara also published a photograph of himself with Hassin’s father and a video in which he discussed the case.
The post was removed following intervention by Israel’s military censor after the Foreign Ministry asked that its dissemination be halted. Israeli security officials criticized Kara at the time, saying the publicity could cause harm. Kara’s office responded that he had acted in coordination with Hassin’s family, which had asked for his assistance.
Alongside the announcement of Hassin’s release, activists involved in efforts to secure his freedom reiterated their clarification regarding reports published about a year ago. They said information that had purported to dispute parts of the earlier account of Hassin’s arrest was subsequently determined to be inaccurate and had been provided as a result of deception.