Daniel Weitz, an IDF soldier who was extradited by Israel to Canada for a murder case three years ago, was acquitted of all guilt last night in Toronto. He had been accused, together with two friends, of beating and kicking 15-year-old Matti Baranovsky and leaving him to die. The testimony of a fourth "friend," Yaviore Lipschitz, was sufficient to convict the other two, but not Weitz - and there are signs that Lipschitz himself took part in the murder.
Weitz had reserved an airline ticket to Israel, where he lives, a week before Baranovsky's death - but that did not stop a public Canadian outcry, led by the police, accusing him of being a fugitive of justice. Israeli authorities, after a ten-month legal battle, finally acceded to Canada's extradition request. Weitz's Israeli lawyer, Attorney Nitzana Darshan-Leitner, said today that the "closed-mindedness of the State Prosecution caused Weitz to lose three and a half years of his life in Canadian prison even though he was innocent." She accuses the Prosecution, which favored the extradition, of being more concerned for foreign relations than for the liberty of an Israeli soldier.
Weitz's Canadian lawyer, Marie Henein, told reporters she is considering calling for an independent probe of how Toronto police handled the investigation. She said that there had been a "proven plan" by the other suspects to blame Weitz.
Darshan-Leitner told Arutz-7 today that "we are considering a suit against both the Israeli Prosecution that ignored our claims and did not check the evidence, which was clearly false - and against the Canadian government that demanded his extradition based on clearly false evidence."
Canada's "Globe and Mail" reports that the jury deliberated for nearly seven days before declaring Weitz innocent and his two co-defendants guilty. Weitz, who appeared elated and not bitter at the decision, said that the experience has taught him to be "a lot more disciplined and to treat a man like you want to be treated." He spent most of his jail time in protective custody after threats were made against him during the public outcry after Baranovsky's death. He had a total of some six hours of yard time in 15-minute chunks during 3 years, he told the "Globe and Mail."
Weitz plans to resume his IDF military service, of which he has 20 months left, but first wants to take a long vacation. "I always had the faith, always had the hope," he said.
The victim, Matti Baranovski, was a straight-A student who dreamed of becoming a doctor. The Toronto Star reported that he had immigrated to Canada with his mother from Israel two years before his death.
Ironically, Canadian immigration officials have begun to be on the alert for a "Russian-Israeli mafia" encouraging Russian criminals to come to Canada via Israel. "This is a Russian group that has set up shop in Israel," an official in the Canadian visa office in London, England informed the Toronto Sun. "We should be concerned about the increase of Israeli-Russian applications... [It's] essentially a phenomenon transplanted from Russia [and] an unpleasant byproduct of the massive intake after the opening of the former Soviet Union."
Weitz had reserved an airline ticket to Israel, where he lives, a week before Baranovsky's death - but that did not stop a public Canadian outcry, led by the police, accusing him of being a fugitive of justice. Israeli authorities, after a ten-month legal battle, finally acceded to Canada's extradition request. Weitz's Israeli lawyer, Attorney Nitzana Darshan-Leitner, said today that the "closed-mindedness of the State Prosecution caused Weitz to lose three and a half years of his life in Canadian prison even though he was innocent." She accuses the Prosecution, which favored the extradition, of being more concerned for foreign relations than for the liberty of an Israeli soldier.
Weitz's Canadian lawyer, Marie Henein, told reporters she is considering calling for an independent probe of how Toronto police handled the investigation. She said that there had been a "proven plan" by the other suspects to blame Weitz.
Darshan-Leitner told Arutz-7 today that "we are considering a suit against both the Israeli Prosecution that ignored our claims and did not check the evidence, which was clearly false - and against the Canadian government that demanded his extradition based on clearly false evidence."
Canada's "Globe and Mail" reports that the jury deliberated for nearly seven days before declaring Weitz innocent and his two co-defendants guilty. Weitz, who appeared elated and not bitter at the decision, said that the experience has taught him to be "a lot more disciplined and to treat a man like you want to be treated." He spent most of his jail time in protective custody after threats were made against him during the public outcry after Baranovsky's death. He had a total of some six hours of yard time in 15-minute chunks during 3 years, he told the "Globe and Mail."
Weitz plans to resume his IDF military service, of which he has 20 months left, but first wants to take a long vacation. "I always had the faith, always had the hope," he said.
The victim, Matti Baranovski, was a straight-A student who dreamed of becoming a doctor. The Toronto Star reported that he had immigrated to Canada with his mother from Israel two years before his death.
Ironically, Canadian immigration officials have begun to be on the alert for a "Russian-Israeli mafia" encouraging Russian criminals to come to Canada via Israel. "This is a Russian group that has set up shop in Israel," an official in the Canadian visa office in London, England informed the Toronto Sun. "We should be concerned about the increase of Israeli-Russian applications... [It's] essentially a phenomenon transplanted from Russia [and] an unpleasant byproduct of the massive intake after the opening of the former Soviet Union."