Photo: golosislama.
Greece, October 2024 – The dramatic situation of an Israeli citizen detained in Greece is gaining international attention. The man, who intended to spend a holiday with his family in Rhodes, was arrested on an extradition warrant issued by Germany. Since then, he has been in custody, and his health condition and ill-treatment by other prisoners raise serious fears for his life, Time Ukraine Israel portal reports, citing the Israeli publication Ynet.
The situation that started in Germany
The 42-year-old Israeli resident of Rehovot was detained in Greece in early October at the request of Germany, which accuses him of fraud. He is accused of defrauding investors of €300,000. German law enforcement officials believe he is part of a fraudulent network, and if extradited, the man faces a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence.
But this is only part of the story. An important aspect is the detainee’s health condition – the man suffers from liver fibrosis, which has developed into cirrhosis over the years. He is a candidate for a liver transplant, which makes his stay in prison particularly life-threatening.
Death threats and persecution
Meanwhile, in the Greek prison to which he was transferred after his arrest, he became a victim of severe persecution by Muslim prisoners. According to his wife, he is threatened, beaten, and even denied food. They say that “all Jews must be killed”, and he lives in constant fear for his life. The man’s wife said that every day she receives calls during which he cries in pain and fear. In his severe physical and mental condition, he even refuses to eat because he is not given kosher food.
“We are very disappointed because the Israeli authorities are not helping. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the embassy in Greece have done nothing to help him. They didn’t even visit him, they didn’t make a single call,” says his wife. She adds that despite his serious health problems, her husband continues to be subjected to psychological pressure and severe beatings.
Hope for state intervention
The detainee’s lawyer, Mordechai Tsybin, appealed to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs for urgent assistance. “This man needs urgent intervention from the state. His life is in danger, and he cannot survive in such conditions. He is being persecuted because of his nationality and religion,” the lawyer said in his appeal. Tsybin also stressed that Germany’s extradition request violates technical rules, and he hopes that from a legal point of view, extradition can be avoided.
According to the lawyer, his client should be released from prison in Athens, where he is currently awaiting an appeal hearing, as staying in such an anti-Semitic atmosphere could lead to irreversible consequences for his health.
Photo: Ynet.
A family in suffering
This tragedy also has deep personal consequences for the detainee’s family. His wife, speaking about the situation, noted that after the incident, their children no longer go to school and are experiencing serious stress. “We are in an economic and mental crisis,” she sighs, unable to find the words to express the depth of her feelings.
An Israeli citizen who has been the victim of unjust persecution has been in prison for a month and a half, and despite his serious health problems, he has not received proper medical care. It is difficult to imagine how his family, as well as Israeli society, can respond to such a life-threatening situation due to international legal disputes, social and political contexts.
The idea of the importance of supporting citizens abroad is particularly clear in this story. After all, each case is not only a matter of law, but also of humanity.
