Israel's state attorney decides against appealing Roman Zadorov's acquittal

The State Attorney's Office will not file an appeal against the Nazareth District Court's acquittal of Roman Zadorov for murder of Tair Rada, the Justice Ministry announced on Sunday.

"The conclusion was formed that it is not possible to establish a real legal possibility for filing an appeal against the verdict," the State Attorney said in a notice.

The State Attorney's Office said that before coming to the decision, it had weighed the possibility of an appeal, and examined the verdict with deputy state attorneys and the prosecution team. 

The credibility of the State Attorney's Office has been attacked over the case by politicians such as Religious Zionist Party MK Simcha Rothman. Experts and Justice Ministry inquirers have accused the officer of cherry-picking information and suppressing that which wasn't in their favor to secure the prosecution.

The case was highly publicized, both due to the shocking crime and widespread speculation that Zadorov was innocent. 

Zadorov's acquittal in March

Zadorov had been acquitted of 13-year-old Rada's murder on March 30 in a retrial after new evidence had brought his guilt into question. 

Two of the judges were of the opinion that there were too many inconsistencies in the evidence to determine Zadorov the murderer, but one judge dissented. 

Rada had been brutally murdered in a bathroom stall in her Katzrin school. Zadorov had worked there as a custodian, and was soon the main police suspect. 

Zadorov was convicted in 2010, though Rada's mother had expressed strong doubts about his guilt. The man was argued by his defense to have no motive, and while he had confessed had later recanted as having done so under pressure and mental distress. 

Zadorov filed multiple appeals over the years, but the High Court of Justice only ruled for a retrial in 2021. Later that year, Zadorov was released to house arrest. 

The retrial was predicated on new forensic evidence. No blood was found on Zadorov's shoes, but other footprints were found in Rada's blood. 

There were doubts about the murder weapon. The prosecution claimed that the custodian's straight bladed exacto-knife had made Rada's wounds, but one expert determined that one incision was made by a serrated knife. 

Hair found at the scene did not match Zadorov, and a 2022 mitochondrial DNA test of the hair showed an inconclusive match to Adir Habani, the former partner of another possible suspect in the murder case – Olga Kravchenko. She had been a key witness against Zadorov. 

The retrial judges called for the further investigation of the DNA evidence. Zadorov and Rada's mother have in the past called for the arrest  of both Kravchenko and Habani. Habani has accused Kravenchko of committing the murder while wearing his clothes.