Haifa Court Indicts Man for Murder of Key Witness in Shfaram Blood Feud
The Haifa District Court received an indictment against Hussein Hujirat for the aggravated murder of a key witness in a murder trial, aimed at obstructing justice.
The State Attorney's Office filed an indictment in the Haifa District Court against 24-year-old Hussein Hujirat from Bir al-Maksur for the aggravated premeditated murder of Hashim Hujirat. The victim was a witness to the murder of Ali Sawaed in Shfaram and had been shot and wounded in that same incident.
Obstruction of Justice
According to the indictment filed by Attorney Yaniv Zohar from the Haifa District Prosecutor's Office, Hujirat was murdered to prevent him from testifying in the criminal trial regarding the Sawaed murder, against the backdrop of an ongoing blood feud between the Sawaed and Khaldi families.
After Sawaed's murder, Hujirat was investigated as a witness and was scheduled to testify in court. Consequently, the defendant and an unidentified accomplice plotted to kill him to thwart his testimony and derail the legal proceedings. The two planned an ambush near his home, arming themselves with weapons and ammunition.
Execution and Arrest
Carrying out their plan, the two arrived in the early morning hours near Hujirat's home in Shfaram and waited for him to emerge. When he left his house and entered his vehicle, they blocked his path, and one of them fired at least nine bullets at him from close range. Hujirat was struck by multiple bullets, and his death was pronounced at the scene.
Following the shooting, the suspects fled to a nearby forest and concealed their getaway car. Later, the defendant returned with a bottle of gasoline to burn the vehicle and destroy evidence linking him to the murder. Police forces stationed at the scene arrested him before he could carry out the arson.
Hussein Hujirat is charged with aggravated premeditated murder under Section 301a(a)(3) of the Penal Law—specifically murdering a witness in a criminal proceeding to obstruct justice. This marks only the second time the State Attorney's Office has filed an indictment under this severe aggravating circumstance, which addresses the dual blow of killing a witness: taking a human life while crippling the legal system's ability to uncover the truth.
In addition, he faces charges of weapons offenses, attempted arson, and attempted destruction of evidence. The prosecution has requested the court to remand him in custody until the conclusion of legal proceedings.
