A man who helped the grandfather of a
boy who was the sole survivor of an Italian cable-car disaster
abduct the child and take him to Israel was arrested in Cyprus
on Friday, local sources told Corriere della Sera newspaper.
Gabriel Abutbul Alon is accused of helping Shmuel Peleg take
Eitan Biran from his Italian home and fly him to Israel in a
private jet.
Meanwhile Pavia prosecutors said a request to extradite the
grandfather had reached Israeli authorities - but Israel does
not extradited its own citizens.
Peleg, the maternal grandfather of Eitan, the orphaned child who
was the only survivor of the Mottarone mountain cable-car
disaster in May, has appealed to the Israeli Supreme Court
against a lower Israeli court's order that the boy must return
to the custody of his paternal aunt in Italy after he
allegedly abducted him and took him to Israel in September.
The Tel Aviv family court ruled on October 25 that Eitan be
returned to the care of his Italian-based paternal aunt, Aya
Biran, saying that his habitual residence was in Italy.
Eitan's parents, great grandparents and two-year-old brother
were among the 14 victims of the disaster.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
