Bar Noar founder denies any connection to double murder case

Shaul Ganon granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for admission of sexual contact with minor at heart of 2009 killings in gay youth club

Shaul Ganon, one of the founders of the Bar Noar center, speaks to the media in Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court on Friday, June 14, 2013 (Photo credit: Roni Schutzer/Flash90)
Shaul Ganon, one of the founders of the Bar Noar center, speaks to the media in Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court on Friday, June 14, 2013 (Photo credit: Roni Schutzer/Flash90)

Bar Noar founder Shaul Ganon is the prominent LGBT activist who is believed to have been the target of a 2009 double murder at the gay youth club in Tel Aviv. He was released to two weeks of home arrest on Friday in his fourth appearance before the city’s magistrates court, and his name was released for publication.

Ganon signed a witness agreement with police, according to Israel Radio, where, in exchange for immunity from prosecution, he admitted to having sexual contact with the 15-year-old relative of the primary suspect in the case, Haggai Felician.

In a Channel 2 interview on Friday night, he denied any wrongdoing.

Ganon, 49, served as Bar Noar’s director at the time of the murders, and he was a longtime mentor for gay Israeli youth.

He may still face charges in at least one other case of suspected inappropriate sexual behavior. A male-to-female transsexual accused him earlier this week of attempted rape. She told police that the alleged attack took place in Ganon’s home some 10 years ago, before her transition.

Felician was reportedly caught on tape telling a police informant that he carried out the murderous attack at the club — which killed two people and wounded 11 others — because his relative had been sexually assaulted by Ganon. A gag order in the case has prevented many of the details in the investigation from being released.

Police reportedly offered Ganon immunity for his confession, which would corroborate a motive for Felician’s rampage. They did so even though Ganon knew for several years that he was the target of the heinous 2009 attack. 

According to Israel Radio, Felician’s relative, now 19 years old, who was the subject of the Bar Noar director’s sexual advances, threatened Ganon soon after the murders. He now denies that he was ever molested by Ganon.

Leaving court on Friday, the prominent LGBT activist said that during his arrest, there was “a malicious rumor mill in operation with no connection to reality.” Ganon added that his imprisonment had caused “enormous damage and great pain” to him and his family.

Ganon explained, “Within the limits imposed on me currently (referring to the gag order), I can say I don’t have and didn’t have any connection to the Bar Noar murder case, directly or indirectly, and I’ve committed no offense related to this issue.” He made the comments with tearful eyes, reported Walla News, and then he embraced at length some family members who were present, and left.

On Channel 2 on Friday night, Ganon insisted he was guilty of no wrongdoing, that “I never raped anybody,” that he had no connection to any of the crimes, and that evidently the evidence against him was being manufactured by dishonest people.

Last Wednesday, four suspects were arrested in connection with the case: Felician, his relative, another accomplice, and Ganon, whom the first three allegedly set out to kill.

On Tuesday, the court approved for publication Felician’s name and that of an accomplice, Tarlan Hankishayev, 26, both from the Pardes Katz neighborhood in Bnei Brak.

The arrest of Felician and his suspected accomplices marked a breakthrough in a case that had police stumped for almost four years. Until their identity and motives were known, police treated the case as a possible hate crime or terror attack.

Police were finally able to make headway in their investigation four months ago, when another person who was reportedly involved in planning the attack surrendered himself to police and became the state’s witness.

He told police that he knew the suspects intended to harm Ganon, but not that they intended to kill him.

Asher Zeiger and Lazar Berman contributed to this report.

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