State Attorney's Office appeals sentencing in Yoel Lhanghal death case

An appeal was submitted on Sunday to Israel's Supreme Court regarding the leniency of sentencing for Liad Edri, who was convicted about two years ago for being involved in the death of Yoel Lhanghal, aged 18, during a party, the State Attorney's Office said on Sunday.

Edri was convicted of being involved in a fight at a party during which Lhanghal lost his life.

Following the incident, he was sentenced to five and a half years in prison, a suspended sentence, and financial compensation amounting to 50,000 shekels for the Lhanghal family, the State Attorney's Office said.

The State Attorney's Office said it submitted the appeal due to the leniency of the sentencing and argued that Edri's sentence did not match the severity of the incident and did not align with "the Supreme Court’s established stance on the appropriate penal response to the widespread street violence."

It contended that the imposed sentence of five and half years imprisonment also did not align with the Supreme Court's policy that calls for a "severe and deterrent penal response to the prevalent street violence in Israel."

The State Attorney's Office emphasized that the maximum sentence for aggravated assault, the charge to which Edri admitted and was convicted, is 20 years of actual imprisonment and that five years only amounts to a quarter of that.

The appeal noted that Edri's conviction of "aggravated assault, obstruction of justice, and tampering with an investigation" ultimately led to the death of Lhanghal. 

What did the appeal say occurred during the incident? 

It explained the alleged events of the incident, saying that Edri intervened in a minor dispute in which he was not involved and had already been handled.

Despite this, Edri returned to the scene with the intention of finding Lhanghal to harm him and reignite the conflict, the appeal said. 

According to the appeal, Edri led a group of youths equipped with weapons to attack Lhanghal, who was then stabbed and kicked by Edri in the area of the wound. 

Following the assault, Edri fled the scene, leaving Lhanghal behind. Additionally, the appeal noted that Edri "attempted to obstruct justice and tamper with the investigation" by hiding the clothes he wore during the incident and instructing another participant in the attack to lie during the investigation.

"The sentence given to Edri does not reflect the brutal and excessive violence Edri employed, especially as the instigator and leader of the assault," the appeal continued. 

"Moreover, this sentence risks conveying a lenient and misleading message to the public, insufficient to deter Edri or others from resolving conflicts through vigilantism and severe violence," it added.