Extradition of Derek Roth murderer delayed by errors

Justice Ministry errors and lack of coordination between Israel and Argentina have blocked the extradition of an escaped murderer to Israel.

Argentina's Supreme Court recently rejected Israel's extradition request for Moshe Ben-Ivgi due to errors in its submission.

Although the Argentine court issued its decision a month and a half ago, it was received by the Justice Ministry here only three days ago.

It is not clear whether the rejection of the extradition is revocable.

Ben-Ivgi was 14 when when he murdered taxi driver Derek Roth with his friend Arbel Aloni in 1994. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Then, after robbing a grocery store during a furlough from prison, Ben-Ivgi was sentenced to five additional years in prison.

Two and a half years ago, on another furlough from prison, Ben-Ivgi managed to flee to Argentina with a forged passport. He was arrested in Argentina six months later, and Israel requested his extradition, although there is no extradition agreement between the two states.

A District Court in Argentina approved Ben-Ivgi's extradition. However, it stipulated that on his return he would not serve his sentence for murder or escape, but for the robbery alone, as the murder had been committed when he was a minor.

Ben-Ivgi appealed to Argentina's Supreme Court, which handed down its ruling on December 27. The court criticized Israel for presenting the extradition request incorrectly. The original verdict against Ben-Ivgi and a judge's signature confirming the verdict's existence had not been attached to the request as required, the court said.

The Supreme Court revoked the District Court's ruling approving extradition. However, the court allowed Israel to resubmit the request within 30 days. For some reason the Justice Ministry only received the verdict three days ago. The Israeli consul in Argentina and the Argentine Foreign Ministry have begun probing why the court's decision did not reach Israel.

Sources in Argentina said that no new extradition request had been received. The State Prosecutor's Office received notice of the extradition request's rejection a few days ago and immediately advised Sharon Roth, daughter of the victim, that Ben Ivgi would probably not be extradited.