4.5 Years in Prison for a Murder He Didn't Commit – and 0 Shekels in the Civil Suit: The Absurdity

Solomon Radai, who spent 4.5 years in custody on murder charges and was acquitted unanimously, received 600,000 shekels in compensation in the criminal proceedings, but his civil lawsuit for wrongful arrest was dismissed entirely. The civil court ruled that the indictment was 'reasonable,' contradicting the criminal findings. His appeal was accepted by the Supreme Court, but the hearing was set for March 2028.

Solomon Radai, accused of murder and held in custody for four and a half years, was acquitted unanimously by three judges at the district court, who ruled that the indictment was based on 'meager and negligible weight of evidence.' The criminal verdict noted that a police agent had recorded him in a problematic manner, and he was awarded 600,000 shekels in compensation. A prosecution representative admitted mistakes and lessons learned. After the acquittal, Radai filed a civil lawsuit against the state for wrongful arrest, but the district court dismissed it entirely, ruling that filing the indictment was reasonable. This decision contradicts the criminal findings, as civil courts are not obligated to follow a criminal verdict, but the rule is to rely on the findings. Radai, who suffers from trauma and is in ongoing distress, described his condition: 'Every day I die and get up,' and noted that he received no apology from the police or prosecution, and that he lives on pills and suffered suicide attempts in prison. An appeal to the Supreme Court was accepted, but the hearing was set for March 2028, nearly two years after filing. Attorney Eli Helm, representing Radai, called the case 'amazing' and noted the severe violation of Radai's rights, who sat in prison without guilt.