Trial Begins of Five Accused in Murder of Rina Shnerb Hy”d

After a delay of almost two years, the trial of the five persons accused in the terrorist murder of Rina Snerb finally opened on Tuesday, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Although her murder took place on August 23 2019, and indictments were filed the following December, proceedings were held up by a series of evidentiary disputes. Among the issues: Whether the five should be tried together or separately; a petition to remove the seal on some of the evidence and handling of their interrogations which are currently classified, due to national security concerns; and a Justice Ministry decision to open a criminal probe into whether the Shin Bet had broken the law and tortured one of the defendants during his interrogation (the deterioration in his health was subsequently attributed to an unforeseen medical complication).

The five defendants were named as Samer Arbid, Walid Hanatshe, Abed el-Razeq Faraj, Yzaen Majames and Kasem Shibli.

Shnerb family lawyer and former IDF chief prosecutor in Yehuda and Shomron, Lt. Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch, protested the delays in the case.

On Tuesday, he noted that the scene in court of smiling terrorists waving to their visiting families was very disturbing to Shnerb’s parents, Eitan and Shira.