Israeli being retried over teen’s murder released to house arrest after 15 years

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Israel’s High Court of Justice ruled on Thursday that Roman Zadorov, who was convicted in 2010 for the murder of 13-year-old Tair Rada, be released to house arrest until he is retried.

The court rejected an appeal by the State Prosecutor against a lower court ruling in August ordering house arrest for Zadorov, who has been in prison since he was arrested in December 2006 for the murder.

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Prosecutors had agreed to retry Zadorov but objected to his release from prison while the new trial was underway. They argued that he presented a danger and a flight risk and that new evidence that led to a retrial did not justify release to house arrest. Prosecutors also argued that the court should wait until it heard the probation service’s opinion.

However, they failed to persuade the Nazareth District Court Judge Taha Arafat, who said Zadorov could be released to house arrest, subject to restrictions.

The restrictions include wearing of an electronic bracelet that monitors Zadarov’s movements, 24-hour-a-day supervision and a ban from leaving his home except with court approval and accompanied by an escort. In addition, Zadarov was ordered to post a bond of hundreds of thousands of shekels and his supervisors to post guarantees of 150,000 shekels ($46,500).

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Zadorov, accused of killing a 13-year-old girl in 2006, released on house arrest

The retrial was ordered in May after former Supreme Court Justice Hanan Melcer said the testimony he had been shown held out the “serious potential of changing the trial outcome,” and ordered prosecutors to study the material to see if they agreed that it justified a retrial.

The main evidence against Zadarov is the heel of a shoe that was found at the murder scene that had Rada’s blood on it, but which does not belong to Zadorov. Last month, State Prosecutor Amit Aisman agreed to a retrial, saying he believed there was a reasonable chance of a repeat conviction.