Niv Asraf
Niv AsrafMeir Sela

The Jerusalem District Court today increased the sentence of Niv Asraf, who staged his abduction in the Hevron area four years ago, sentencing him to nine months in prison.

Asraf's friend, Eran Nagaoker, was sentenced to six months of community service for helping him.

In June, the Magistrate's Court sentenced Asraf to six months of community service and Nagaoker to three months of community service. The State Prosecutor's Office appealed the sentence which was indeed brought to the District Court this morning.

Asraf and Nagaoker were convicted of falsifying information and fraud. According to the indictment, Asraf tried to evade payment of debts he accumulated through illegal gambling by creating a false impression he had been kidnapped by terrorists to lead to publicizing his "kidnapping" in the media in a way that would inform the public and his debtors.

To promote the deception, Asraf convinced his friend Eran Nagaoker to join him on a trip to the Tomb of the Patriarchs on the pretext that he wanted to pray and give charity there.

On April 2, 2015, the two traveled to Kiryat Arba, where Asraf told Nagaoker he intended to disappear due to the separation from his girlfriend, so the publicity would theoretically cause his girlfriend to become concerned for him. After a while Asraf chose a hiding place near the entrance to a community. According to the plan, Nagaoker left Kiryat Arba, arrived at a spot they determined at the entrance to the community, approached a policeman and gave him a false report according to his preliminary planning.

Following the report, an emergency procedure was implemented for fear of kidnapping. Massive security forces were deployed to the area, including various units and technologies. Roadblocks were placed in the area and searches conducted in nearby villages. In a number of cases there was hostility against forces searching the area for Asraf.

All the while Asraf hid, heard sirens and a helicopter, but did not move and did not intend to turn himself in to the security forces.

ניב אסרף: אני מצטער