Three hassidic Israelis belonging to Rabbi Eliezer Berland’s Shuvu Banim sect of the Breslov hassidic community were arrested early Sunday morning for their involvement in several murder cases in the 1980s and early 1990s in Jerusalem, N12 reported.
The Jerusalem residents, all in their 60s, were reportedly involved in murder cases related to mishmarot tzniut, or “modesty squads.” Mishmarot tzniut are hassidic gangs that attempt to enforce some of the extreme parts of ultra-Orthodox behavior.
According to N12, one of the incidents the three were involved in is the disappearance and probable murder of Nissim Shitrit in 1986.
Shitrit filed a police complaint following an attack by yeshiva students. Days later, he disappeared and left no trace after receiving a suspicious phone call. Police suspect that Shitrit was murdered by a mishmeret tzniut.
The second case, is believe to be the murder of Avraham Edri in 1990. Edri, a yeshiva employee, was murdered while out with his wife.
Rabbi Eliezer Berland and Rabbi Ofer Erez (credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Rabbi Eliezer Berland, the leader of the sect, was convicted in 2016 after admitting to two counts of indecent sexual acts and one sexual assault. In June, he was convicted on charges of fraud, exploitation, attempted intimidation, tax offenses and money laundering.
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