According to the extradition request made by the Israeli authorities, Grinfeld was part of a group of up to 20 people who obstructed the entrance to the store, shoved and threatened customers and tried to prevent people from shopping.
The group were also accused of cursing and pushing employees and the store owners. They also allegedly vandalised the store and its merchandise and threw dirty babies’ nappies at the shop entrance.
Westminster Magistrates Court (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
Grinfeld, who does not speak English, was said to “have cut off the electricity in the store so that he could vandalise under the cover of darkness” and “shoved, punched and kicked employees who tried to prevent his actions”. A rock was also thrown during the protest.
He had been charged in Israel with seven offences, including riot, common assault, blackmail by threats and wounding under aggravating circumstances.
At his original trial, Grinfeld, a Yiddish speaker, denied taking part in the violence and said he had merely sat and read psalms during the incident.
However, while awaiting the verdict, Grinfeld left Israel with his wife and their then three children for Canada before settling in London in 2016 where he worked as an office assistant at a property business, according to a High Court decision published last week.
While the judge took into account that Grinfeld had led a “settled and law-abiding life in the UK”, he also considered him a “fugitive from justice”.
Grinfeld, who now has eight children, including a six-month-old baby, challenged the decision, claimed that prison conditions in Israel would violate his human rights and that extraditing him would have a disproportionate impact on his family.
He had appealed to the High Court over a judge’s earlier decision to refer the case to the Home Secretary for a final ruling.
After Braverman's later ruling following the High Court decision to refer to the Home Secretary, Grinfield is able to appeal to the Supreme Court on the case.
