Taysir Hayb

Taysir Hayb
OccupationIsrael Defense Forces soldier
Criminal statusReleased
Conviction(s)Manslaughter
Obstruction of justice
Criminal penalty8 years imprisonment

Idier Wahid Taysir Hayb (or al-Heib) (Arabic: تيسير الهيب; Hebrew: תייסיר אל-היב) is a Bedouin Israeli sergeant and convicted murderer who shot International Solidarity Movement civilian activist Tom Hurndall, while on duty in Gaza on April 11, 2003. Hurndall died in January 2004, after a nine-month coma. Hayb was sentenced to eight years for manslaughter.[1][2][3][4] His sentence was reduced in July 2010, and he was released after only five years.[5] He is the brother of Amira al Hayb, the first Bedouin Israeli female to join the IDF.

Investigation and trial

Initially, Hayb claimed he had shot at a man in military fatigues, who was firing at soldiers. However, photographic evidence clearly showed that Hurndall was wearing a bright orange jacket, denoting he was a foreigner. Hayb was an award-winning marksman and his rifle had a telescopic sight. He said he aimed four inches from Hurndall's head, 'but he moved'. Hayb, allegedly, claimed a policy of shooting at unarmed civilians existed at the time.[1][2][3][6]

In May 2004, Taysir Hayb went on trial for manslaughter in the death of Tom Hurndall, obstruction of justice and unbecoming behaviour.[3] In August 2005, he was convicted of manslaughter and obstruction of justice and sentenced to 8 years in prison.[2]

Release

Hayb was to be released in August 2010, after an army committee headed by Advocate-General Avichai Mandelblit decided to shorten his sentence due to good behavior.[7]

The army committee dismissed arguments from military prosecutors that the early release could harm relations between Israel and the United Kingdom, and said he "no longer posed any threat to society in their view."[8] Hayb was finally released on September 8, 2010, after having served six-and-a-half years of his sentence.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b Arrindell, Carl (22 January 2004). "Obituary: Tom Hurndall - An aspiring photojournalist and committed peace activist". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  2. ^ a b c Soldier jailed for activist death, BBC News, 11 August 2005.
  3. ^ a b c Simon Atkinson, British peace activist was ‘intentionally killed’, The Guardian, 10 April 2006.
  4. ^ Dyer, Clare (2006-05-22). "Goldsmith flies to Israel to investigate shooting of Britons". The Guardian (22 May). London. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
  5. ^ Anshel Pfeffer (19 July 2010). "IDF soldier who shot British peace activist to be released from jail". Haaretz.
  6. ^ Townsend, Mark (2005-01-30). "Parents fight to learn why Israeli sniper shot their son". The Observer. London. Retrieved 27 May 2007.
  7. ^ "IDF Soldier Who Shot British Peace Activist to Be Released From Jail". Haaretz. 2010-07-19. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  8. ^ "Lesser sentence for activist killer". Jerusalem Post. 2010-07-19. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  9. ^ "Press Release: Early release of Tom Hurndall's killer symptom of wider Israeli crimes". ISM London. Archived from the original on November 27, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2010.