In two weeks time Chaggai Amir, who was convicted in the conspiracy to murder Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin will be released from prison after serving his 16.5-year term. He will be 43-years-old at the time of the release.

Chaggai, who spent his time in the segregated unit of Ayalon Prison, is a brother of convicted Rabin assassin Yigal Amir, who is serving a life sentence. The Shin Bet wished to move him to a populated wing of the prison about two weeks ago, ahead of his release but he declined. He feared that something would occur that would provide prison officials with an excuse for delaying his release. There is much anger surrounding his release as he never expressed remorse.

Yisrael HaYom reports he passed his time learning Torah, watching television and listening to the radio. His request to remove a third from his term for good behavior as is the standard practice was of course refused by the Israel Prison Authority.

Other defendants in the prime minister’s assassination included Margalit Har-Shefi, who served a 4.5-month sentence and is now married. She was convicted of not taking steps to prevent the assassination along with Dror Adani, who served seven years and today lives in the center of the country.

There is also Avishai Raviv, the Shin Bet provocateur known as “Champagne”, who was charged with not preventing the assassination but he never served jail time and today lives in Givatayim.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)