"The biggest mistake of my life": Ben Hissin in a special interview about his imprisonment in Iraq

Ben Hissin, the Israeli-Canadian who spent 11 years in an Iraqi prison under a death sentence, is interviewed for the first time since his release. In an interview with i24NEWS, he speaks about his desire to join the fight against ISIS, the taxi ride that led to a fatal confrontation, and life under the shadow of a death sentence.

Ben Hissin, the Israeli-Canadian who spent 11 years in an Iraqi prison under a death sentence, is interviewed for the first time since his release by i24NEWS. In an interview with reporter Guy Azriel, Hissin recounts his desire to join the fight against ISIS in Iraqi Kurdistan in 2015, and the taxi ride that led to a fatal confrontation with the driver who discovered his Israeli identity. Hissin shot the driver, claiming self-defense, and was convicted of murder. He was sentenced to death, but after a diplomatic and legal struggle, a reconciliation was reached with the victim's family for a compensation of about $200,000, and his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment and later reduced to 15 years. After a third off for good behavior, he was released and returned to Israel. The article describes the complex legal and political journey in a hostile country, and the beginning of his new civilian life.