The court in the Netherlands today (Tuesday) approved the request of the international department of the state attorney’s office to extradite the model agent Shay Avital to Israel, for the purpose of prosecuting him for sexual offenses against two complainants. The court read the summary of the decision and the full version will be delivered at 16:00 Dutch time.
The lawyers Shashi Gaz and Sharon Nahari representing Avital said: “The trial will be conducted in Israel and not in the Netherlands. The claims raised in the court in the Netherlands are mainly legal and deal only with the issue of his extradition. The discussion has nothing to do with the question of his innocence, which he claims all the time. Shai never had any intention of not returning to Israel and proving his innocence.”
As I recall, in August, Avital was arrested in the heart of Amsterdam, as part of a joint operation by the intelligence division and the Dutch police. Avital left a restaurant in the Leidseplein area, was identified on the street by a police representative in the Netherlands – and was arrested after full identification. As early as last March, the police summoned Avital, who is staying abroad, to come to Israel for questioning. There are complaints against Avital regarding 26 cases in which he was charged with a wide range of offenses in the field of sexual offenses, including rape and even an indecent act.