Benayahu Razi murder: Defense says evidence insufficient for murder charge against Tsarafi, Huta

The Public Defender’s Office said, however, that the court found sufficient preliminary evidence to support a charge of aiding and abetting murder in the case of Benayahu Razi's murder.

There is not enough evidence at this stage to support the murder charge against Agam Tsarafi and Shilat Huta in the killing of Benayahu Razi in July, the Jerusalem District Court has found, according to Tsarafi’s public defenders.

The announcement came from the Public Defender’s Office late Monday night through a statement from public defenders Roi Politi and Omri Stern, who represent Tsarafi.

However, they said, the court found sufficient preliminary evidence to support a charge of aiding and abetting murder.

The court referred both defendants to the Probation Service for assessments to help determine whether they could be released under restrictive conditions pending trial, the lawyers said.

“Throughout the process,” the public defenders insisted that Tsarafi was not part of the murder plan and “did not wish for Razi’s death.”

The court accepted their arguments, they said.

“Since her arrest, Agam has been suffering from harsh and humiliating treatment by the Israel Prison Service,” they said, adding that they hoped she would soon be released under restrictive conditions and “receive fair treatment by the IPS for as long as she remains in its custody.”

In September, the Public Defender’s Office petitioned the Tel Aviv District Court over Tsarafi’s detention conditions. After footage of her in custody circulated, her lawyers also asked the court to stop the IPS from releasing further footage, arguing that its publication humiliated her and could harm her right to a fair trial.

Tsarafi, Huta accused of attacking Razi with four minors 

Tsarafi and Huta were indicted in August alongside four minors for the murder of 19-year-old Razi, who was stabbed to death in an apartment in Jerusalem in July.

According to the indictments, the women told the minors that Razi had been violent toward them. Prosecutors allege that the six then decided together to attack Razi and his friend, and that the minors armed themselves with knives and other weapons before returning to the apartment.

Huta accompanied the minors into the apartment, while Tsarafi remained in a car outside and watched through a video call initiated by Huta, according to the indictments. Prosecutors accused both women of sharing responsibility for the murder through their alleged role in planning the attack, although neither was accused of carrying out the fatal stabbing.