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Trial over death of Israeli Lee Zeitouni begins in Paris

The trial begins in Paris today of two French men accused of causing the death of a pedestrian through dangerous driving and then fleeing the scene, in Tel Aviv in Israel in 2011.

Protestors call for trial of suspects in Lee Zeitouni case, French Embassy, Tel Aviv
Protestors call for trial of suspects in Lee Zeitouni case, French Embassy, Tel Aviv
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25 year-old Lee Zeitouni, a yoga and gym instructor, was crossing the road at a designated crossing in the early hours of the morning when she was hit and thrown 2 metres into the air, before landing 12 metres away, according to witnesses.

Onlookers said the drivers of the BMW X6 ignored a red light and the car was travelling at a speed of around 100 km per hour in a 50 km per hour zone.

Police found the abandoned car and used video surveillance and witness reports to identify the drivers.

The two men boarded a plane for Paris shortly after the accident.

Eric Robic has admitted being the driver of the vehicle, after initially claiming that Khayat was at the wheel. Robic is charged with manslaughter and could be fined 150,000 euros and jailed for up to ten years.

Khayat is charged with failing to assist a person in danger. He faces a possible 5 year prison sentence and a fine of 75,000 euros.

Israel asked for the two men to be extradited for trial in Tel Aviv but France only extradites its citizens to EU countries.

There was considerable concern in Israel that the drivers of the car might not face trial.
Nicolas Sarkozy was French President at the time and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy wrote to the family to assure them that France would do its utmost to ensure the drivers faced justice.

In the end, the victim’s parents accepted a trial in France instead. They “would obviously have preferred the trial to take place at the scene of the tragedy but it is better than nothing and they have come [to France] with confidence”, said their lawyer Gilles-William Goldnadel.

Claude Khayet’s lawyer, Régis Méliodon, declared that his client “has been impatient for this moment, to explain things and to say sorry to the family.”
 

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