Benny Ze'evi indicted murder of Nissim Sheetrit that was connected to the 'Modesty Guard' of the 'Shuvu Banim' sect.
Benny Ze'evi is the son of a former minister accused of the
1986 murder of Nissim Shitrit whose name was under a gag order until Sunday
morning, Israeli media reported.
Ze'evi, the son of former far-right minister Rehavam Ze'evi
who was assassinated in 2001, was part of the Shuvu Banim sect under the
leadership of Rabbi Eliezer Berland. He and another sect member, Baruch Sharvit
(76), were indicted for the murder on Friday.
The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court denied the request by
Ze'evi's lawyers that the gag order be extended, leading to the revealing of
his name following an enquiry by KAN and Israel Hayom.
According to the indictments, submitted through attorneys
Geula Cohen and Shira Natan, the defendants carried out the murder as part of
their activity in the "Modesty Guard" on behalf of the Shuvu Banim
sect headed by Berland.
The indictment describes the abduction and attack of Shitrit
carried out by the two, as members of the "Modesty Guards" several
months before his death, due to their suspicion that he was meeting with girls,
an act that stands contrary to the religious norms held by members of the sect.
Shitrit filed a police complaint following an attack.
Several days later, Shitrit was lured into an apartment
where he was beaten by Ze'evi, Sharvit and others. From the apartment, he was
taken to a nearby forest in the Beit Shemesh area, where he suffered severe
injuries from blows to his body and head. A few minutes later, one of the
attackers declared him dead, and the defendants and their friends buried him in
the woods.
Sheetrit was not a member of the sect.
Berland himself is currently serving jail time for
extortion, attempted intimidation, tax offenses and money laundering. He was
arrested last month as he was suspected to be linked to the murder, and on
Thursday was released from detention.
Berland was also convicted in 2016 after admitting to two
counts of indecent sexual acts and one of sexual assault
Berland's son-in-law, former mayor Tzvika Tzuker, was also
arrested and later released in connection with the murder.
"Shuvu Banim" members were interrogated regarding
the murder of Avraham Edri in 1990 in Jerusalem, but were not indicted.
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