In an emotional and long-awaited breakthrough, the death sentence looming over Binyamin (ben Limor) Chasin has been formally rescinded by an Iraqi Kurdish judge following the successful completion of a sulcha (peace settlement) earlier today in Kurdistan. The development brings to a close more than a decade of fear, uncertainty, and frantic pidyon shvuyim efforts on behalf of Chasin, who has been imprisoned in Iraq since 2015.

The dramatic reversal marks the culmination of tireless efforts by dedicated askanim, rabbanim, legal advocates, and over 6,085 members of Klal Yisroel worldwide who united to raise the urgently needed pidyon shevuyim funds. The campaign — known as Zachreinu L’Chaim — sought $250,000 for the reconciliation settlement needed to annul the death verdict that had hung over Chasin since 2020.

YWN wrote about the case before Rosh Hashana, and is proud to have directly helped in raising more than $120,000 for this yid who had been facing the gallows.

The story goes back to 2014, when Chasin, born in Iraqi Kurdistan, returned to visit his elderly grandparents, just as ISIS was tearing through the region. After joining local Kurds in defending their towns from terror attacks, he was ambushed in 2015 by a taxi driver who overheard him speaking Hebrew and threatened to hand him over to ISIS. In the struggle that followed, the driver was wounded and later died — a tragedy that led to Chasin’s arrest, severe torture, and eventual conviction.

In August 2020, a Kurdish court sentenced him to death by hanging. Extraordinary behind-the-scenes efforts managed to transfer him from the Iranian-controlled Sulaymaniyah prison to a safer facility in Erbil, but the death sentence remained in force, and the threat of execution was constant.

After years of delicate negotiations, the victim’s family agreed to accept a sulcha – forgiveness from the family of a murder victim that is required under Islamic law to annul a death sentence – and revoking their demand for execution in exchange for the agreed settlement funds.

Earlier this week, a special delegation of askanim – R’ Avrohom (Allen) Lowy, R’ Meyer Tzvi Tauber (Mareches Tzedakah V’Chessed), and R’ Gershon Tzvi West (personal shliach of Dayan Chaim Yosef Dovid Weiss shlit”a of Antwerp) – traveled personally to Iraq to finalize the reconciliation and ensure that the funds reached their destination without interference

In a remarkable, last-minute development, Dayan Weiss himself traveled to Kurdistan — at significant personal risk — where he met with Binyamin in a secure facility in Sulaymaniyah. The sulcha was conducted in accordance with local tribal traditions, in the presence of respected elders.

After forgiveness was granted and the sulcha document completed, it was formally presented to the presiding judge, who then officially annulled the death verdict, reducing it to a minimal prison term.

The ruling represents a stunning turnaround in a case that legal experts, including renowned attorney Alan Dershowitz, repeatedly warned was perilously close to becoming a tragedy. Rabbi Lowy, who traveled to Iraq multiple times and personally witnessed Chasin’s deteriorated physical state, had long cautioned that the execution could occur “any day.”

Yet, through the zechus of thousands who contributed, the unwavering dedication of the delegation, and hashgacha pratis, the impossible was achieved.

In a heartfelt message, the askanim expressed profound gratitude to the global Jewish community: “Each one of the 6,085 Yidden who contributed now has a chelek in this exalted mitzvah, which the Rambam teaches is the greatest of all mitzvos. The zechus will surely stand by them and be rewarded many times over, both spiritually and materially.”

Three other askanim who helped lead the rescue effort iR’ Shimon Rolnitzky, R’ Hershel Gottdiener, and R’ Shlomo Landau — added the timeless words of the Gemara: כל המקיים נפש אחת מישראל מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו קיים עולם מלא.

With the death sentence formally nullified and only a minimal term remaining, expectations are high that Binyamin Chasin will soon be freed and reunited with Klal Yisroel.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)