US demands extradition of suspected Alaskan murderer who fled to Israel
The US government has demanded the extradition from Israel of an American citizen who fled here 14 months ago to escape charges of murder, assault and other offenses.
The petition was filed by the International Affairs Department of the State Attorney’s Office with the Jerusalem District Court to demand 20-yearold US citizen Haitim Mahir Taha’s extradition to the United States. Taha was arrested on Sunday by Israel Police.
According to the extradition request filed by the US government, on April 7, 2017, in Anchorage, Alaska, a verbal confrontation broke out between Taha, a 16-year-old friend, and an acquaintance. Later that day, Taha and his friend chased the acquaintance and fired a weapon at him, leading to an exchange of fire. The acquaintance was injured in the leg and a 17-year-old passerby was injured in the neck and died a few days later at the hospital.
Taha, who fled the scene in his car, entered Israel on July 9, 2017 using his American passport, and has been in Israel ever since.
On September 13, 2017, Taha and his friend were indicted on murder, assault, among other charges.
This was not the first instance that the US government demanded extradition of American citizens in Israel. In 2017, the US sought extradition of the so-called “JCC hoax bomber,” an Israeli teenager from Ashkelon who was arrested by Israel Police in coordination with the FBI. In the same year, the US asked Israel to extradite Tomer Yosef Gross, a dual American-Israeli citizen accused of murdering his mother in 2012 in Florida.
The extradition file is handled by Avi Kronenberg of the International Affairs Department of the State Attorney’s Office, in cooperation with Israel Police through Interpol, and leading operations abroad with the intelligence division and Coastal Police.