The murder case of Benaya Razi, which occurred last July in an apartment in the Nachlaot neighborhood of Jerusalem, continues to stir the legal system, this time regarding the health condition of one of the defendants. Linor Sasson, who is on trial for accessory after the fact in connection with the murder, is being held at Neve Tirza Prison. In recent days, the medical drama experienced by the detainee was revealed after she suffered from various symptoms that led to her emergency hospitalization. According to reports from Ice, based on publications in Maariv, Sasson began complaining as early as September about significant vision difficulties, severe headaches, and problems with movement and walking.
In the pleadings presented to the court by her attorney, Chen Mairi, it was claimed that a medical diagnosis showed she has a brain tumor and requires a surgical procedure. Attorney Mairi sharply criticized the conduct of the Israel Prison Service (IPS), arguing that despite repeated complaints, Sasson was not transferred to receive appropriate medical care in a timely manner. Conversely, the IPS strongly rejected the claims of medical neglect. Sources in the IPS clarified that the defendant was examined by medical teams, and in the initial stages, there was no medical justification for an emergency transfer to a hospital. According to the organization, the transfer was carried out without unnecessary delay once a specialist doctor determined it was a necessary medical requirement.
Meanwhile, the issue of family visits at the hospital was the focus of an urgent petition filed by the defense. The police requested that strict restrictions be placed on visits during the hospitalization, but Judge Ayala Oren ordered certain concessions. In her decision, the judge ruled that in light of the complex health condition described, Sasson's mother, daughter, and brother would be allowed to visit her daily for half an hour. Furthermore, special arrangements were set for the day of the surgery, which will include one hour of visitation before and an additional hour afterward. Sasson was also permitted to make phone calls and have limited physical contact, subject to the discretion of the officers stationed at the scene.
This case highlights the ongoing tension between the duty to maintain secure detention conditions and the duty to provide adequate medical response to detainees, especially when dealing with complex medical conditions requiring urgent intervention outside prison walls. The primary criminal proceeding against Sasson, for accessory after the fact to the murder of Benaya Razi, is still pending in court.