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Rabin’s assassin Yigal Amir seeking retrial

Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked insists that Yigal Amir will remain in prison for the rest of his life.

By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News

The man who assassinated Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin 22 years ago is in the process of preparing a motion which calls for his case to be retried.

Rabin was assassinated by  gunman Yigal Amir on November 4, 1995, at the end of a mass rally in support of the Oslo Accords at what was then called the ‘Kings of Israel Square’ in Tel Aviv.

Amir opposed Rabin’s peace initiative and particularly the signing of the Oslo Accords. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Larisa Amir Trimboblar, the assassin’s wife, announced on Faebook on Saturday that a Swiss law firm is preparing a case which will call for Amir’s retrial and ultimately his release from prison.

While Amir is not denying that he fired shots at Rabin, he is claiming that the bullets he fired did not cause Rabin’s death.

The lawyers for the assassin say they have found more than 18 points which they claim will challenge Amir’s conviction, and plan to submit their findings to the media.

Israeli leaders reject the notion of a retrial. Tweeting in response to the story, Minister of Education Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home) wrote: “The murderer of the prime minister must end his days in prison. On this topic, there is no [political] right or left. Every murder is terrible, but the murder of a prime minister can dismantle the country.”

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (Jewish Home) told Reshet Bet radio:  “The one who can decide to approve or prevent a retrial is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. I haven’t spoken with her about this issue, but I am convinced that neither she nor anyone else will approve this. Yigal Amir will sit in jail until his last day.”