Mother of Binyahu Razi suspect hospitalized after stroke

Linor Sasson, 46, of Jerusalem, mother of Avior Sasson, the main suspect in the murder of Benayahu Razi, was evacuated Tuesday from Neve Tirza prison to Assaf Harofeh Medical Center with a suspected stroke. The emergency transfer came just days after the Israel Prison Service rejected her attorney's claims and accused her of malingering.

Sasson, who is charged with accessory after the fact and obstruction of justice in the case, had complained in recent days of severe headaches, vision problems, and significant difficulty walking. Last Friday, her attorney Chen Meiri filed an urgent petition with the court, arguing that the Prison Service was denying her client adequate medical care despite her deteriorating condition.

In response to the petition, prison officials dismissed the claims and insisted Sasson was presenting a false picture. The Prison Service stated that when the detainee entered the clinic, she presented herself as having difficulty walking, but "upon leaving the clinic she walked freely, did not stumble, and did not bump into walls."

However, just days after that response and the insistence that she was faking, her condition deteriorated further and she was evacuated to the hospital, where doctors suspected a stroke.

Following the incident, attorney Chen Meiri said: "I am sorry that the Prison Service, despite pleas and petitions, chose to view the detainee as a faker, and the result was not long in coming." Meiri also leveled sharp criticism at National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, saying that "proper treatment of detainees does not provide ratings, and therefore allows for contempt for human life."

The Prison Service responded: "The detainee Linor Sasson was examined today by a Prison Service physician who referred her for further medical investigation. The detainee was taken in a Prison Service vehicle for further medical investigation at Assaf Harofeh Hospital, where it was decided to hospitalize her for medical reasons unrelated to her detention and which we cannot detail due to patient privacy. The detainee will be returned to Israel Police custody."

Sasson is the mother of Avior Sasson, the main suspect in the murder of Benayahu Razi. According to investigation materials presented in court, she has a significant criminal record including serving prison time for fraud, threats, and extortion. Chief Inspector Rotem Hila Zaken, who is leading the investigation, noted that Sasson drove her son to carry out the act, and that after the murder she helped him escape and instructed the other accomplices on how to act and leave Jerusalem in order to obstruct the investigation.