On September 17, 2018, the Philippines extradited an Israeli-American to Taiwan where he is suspected of participating in the grisly murder and dismemberment of a Canadian English teacher in New Taipei in August.
Oren Shlomo Mayer, also known as “Oz Diamond,” is 37 years-old. He is suspected of helping to murder Canadian English teacher Ryan Sanjay Ramgahan, whose dismembered body was found on August 22. On August 25, Mayer left Taiwan for Manila.[1]
The media reported that the 43-year Canadian teacher was walking his dog in a park when two men ambushed him with a chain and machetes, stabbed him to death, dismembered him, and scattered his body parts.
Several days later, police arrested Ewart Odane Bent, a U.S. citizen, as a suspect, along with an alleged Taiwanese accomplice.[2]
Mayer’s family unsuccessfully filed an emergency petition to the Israeli High Court of Justice requesting the government’s help in preventing his deportation to Taiwan, where they contend he would likely face the death penalty.
Mayer, a tattoo artist, teacher, and alleged drug dealer, was born in Israel and raised in the U.S.
On September 14, 2018, Mayer’s family requested the court to have the Israeli government intervene on his behalf, and request the Philippines extradite him to Israel, rather than Taiwan where they claim he will likely face the death penalty.[3]
Mayer’s family also requested the court to order the state to issue Mayer an Israeli passport, since the U.S. canceled his U.S. passport.
Supreme Court Justice Noam Solberg said the court would issue a response to the petition by September 20. Meyer’s family attorney Nechama Tzivin requested an earlier response because Meyer’s life was at stake, and the government was ignoring the case.[4]
According to Tzivin, higher-ups in the Interior Ministry have decided not to issue Mayer travel papers which would permit him to return to Israel.[5]
After the Philippines received the Taiwanese request to arrest Mayer, the Philippine National Police (PNP) established a task force to start a search. On August 29, the Philippine police identified the hotel where Mayer was staying and had tailed him after he fled by bus. However, they lost him after he transferred to a Manila Metro Rail Transit System train.
Subsequently, the PNP interrogated a Philippine woman who was identified on surveillance cameras to be frequently visiting Msyer at the hotel. Once she received assurances of protection from reprisals from Mayer for turning him in, the woman agreed to cooperate with police and informed them of the next residence to which he had moved.
On September 5, the PNP raided the apartment at which Mayer was staying and successfully arrested him.[6]
On September 8, the media reported that the U.S. government revoked Mayer’s passport, thereby making his continued stay in the Philippines difficult, especially after the Philippines refused a request by Mayer’s family to issue him a passport.
Mayer’s mother denied the accusations against her son and also denied reports in Taiwanese media that her son was a known marijuana dealer. She said her son had a prescription for medical marijuana. She also said his trip to the Philippines so close to the murder was purposes of obtaining a visa.[7]
Once Mayer returned to Taiwan, he denied involvement in the murder and clashed with an official from the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), blaming the U.S. authorities for the canceling of his passport. He acknowledged having visited the site of the murder earlier in the day, but denied meeting the murder victim there.
The Taiwanese court has appointed as his attorney someone known for defending prominent murderers.[8]
Taiwan and the Philippines have an extradition agreement. On May 23, 2018, Taiwanese police arrested Filipino fugitive and former Ozamiz City Councilor Ricardo Parojinog and sent him to the Philippines on July 27.[9]
The quick action by the PNP illustrates how one state reciprocates to another on extradition matters. The cancellation of Mayer’s passport illustrates how one country can assist other countries in the pursuit of a major case involving a fugitive. Sometimes, the U.S. reserves the option of cancelling passports for situations where the U.S. is the country prosecuting the individual. The effort by Mayer’s family to have the Israeli government intervene also illustrates a step a relator and his family can take, especially when there are arguably international human rights issues (e.g., the death penalty) at stake.
[1] Keoni Everington, Update: Israeli-American murder suspect to be extradited to Taiwan tonight, Taiwan News, Sept. 27, 2018.
[2] Family of Israeli-US murder suspect asks court to help block Taiwan extradition, Times of Israel, Sept. 15, 2018.
[3] Id..
[4] Id.
[5] Id.
[6] Everington, supra.
[7] Id.
[8] Matthew Strong, Israeli-American murder suspect denies charges, clashes with AIT, Taiwan News, Sept. 19, 2018.
[9] Everington, supra.
1′”
1