Murder of Yemenu Zelke: Prosecution Refuses Mediation - 'Case of Great Public Importance'

The Central District Court rejected a request to send the case of a 15-year-old minor accused of negligent homicide in the death of the late Yemenu Zelke to mediation. The prosecution opposed mediation, arguing that this is a case of great public importance. Judge Ami Kobu accepted the prosecution's position and ordered the full criminal proceedings to continue.

The Central District Court rejected the defense attorney's request for a 15-year-old minor, accused of negligent homicide in the death of the late Yemenu Zelke, to transfer the case to a mediation process. The defense attorney, Adv. Avi Cohen, sought to avoid the complex evidentiary hearing expected in the case, which is likely to take a long time due to the number of prosecution witnesses and the defense's intention to call about 20 witnesses, including experts. The minor, arrested last April, has been in custody since. The prosecution, represented by attorneys Ran Biran and Idit Levari, strongly opposed referring the case to mediation, arguing that this is a case of great public importance, with a significant public interest in fully exhausting the truth-seeking process within the regular criminal proceedings. The prosecution noted that a substantive and in-depth dialogue had taken place between the parties, but the gaps between the positions remained wide. Adv. Cohen expressed astonishment at the prosecution's refusal, claiming that in all other prominent media cases, including the 512 affair, the trial of Asi Abutbul, and the El Al affair, the prosecution agreed to mediation, and the only other case where it refused was that of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Judge Ami Kobu ruled in favor of the prosecution's position, determining that there is no place at this stage to refer the parties to mediation, and instructed them to exhaust negotiations between themselves independently. The full criminal proceedings against the minor will continue in the Juvenile Court.