Shai Avital issues demands to police amid sexual assault investigation

The Israeli modeling agent, suspected of sexual assault, issued demands to police, including release on bail.

 Israeli modeling agent Shai Avital (C) poses for a picture with Israeli models during an event on a rooftop in Tel Aviv, on September 17, 2017 (photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)
Israeli modeling agent Shai Avital (C) poses for a picture with Israeli models during an event on a rooftop in Tel Aviv, on September 17, 2017
(photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)

Israeli modeling agent Shai Avital has issued a list of demands to police after he was ordered to return to Israel for questioning concerning sexual assault charges, N12 reported on Tuesday.

The demands, filed to Tel Aviv District Police by Avital's attorneys Sassy Gez and Sharon Nahari included release on bail in an amount to be agreed between the parties and an alternative to detention.

The letter stated that he intends to return to Israel and be questioned. Though his lawyers claim otherwise, news outlets reported last week that Avital was summoned by police for questioning.

The letter was filed in an effort to reach agreements in advance regarding the terms of the investigation, based on Avital's behavior so far, and since most of the investigative and evidence-gathering activities have already been done, according to the report.

The lawyers also asked police to allow Avital to meet them in their office before entering questioning and urged that the investigation be conducted in a balanced manner and away from the media.

The police have rejected the demands outright, stressing that an arrest warrant has been issued against Avital and that he will be arrested as soon as he lands at Ben-Gurion Airport. 

According to N12, if Avital does not return voluntarily to Israel, police will take action in order to bring him back and arrest him upon landing.

26 women, including minors, have filed complaints of sexual assault against Avital so far.

Israel Police opened a criminal investigation against him in July, after multiple accusations of sexual assault and an accusation of rape were made public following an investigation on the Israeli investigative TV show Hazinor.