Friend of Murdered Haifa Woman Reveals Details of Alleged Domestic Abuse
Friends of Yanina Masuada, murdered in Haifa, reveal she suffered severe domestic violence, feared for her life, and planned to flee to Belarus before her tragic death.
Diana Marles, a friend of Yanina Masuada, who was murdered in Haifa, has shared harrowing details about the period preceding her death and the severe fears Yanina reportedly confided in her. According to Diana, Yanina spoke of domestic violence inflicted by her husband, expressed profound fear for her life, and planned to leave Israel with her infant son to return to her mother in Belarus.
A Friendship Born in Israel
"We met through Instagram after I made Aliyah. We went on a trip together in the country, and from there a connection formed and we became friends," Diana recounts. Yanina had arrived in Israel from Belarus and was striving to rebuild her life anew.
She met Ali, who later became her husband, in Jerusalem. "This was her first job in the country. She worked as a waitress in a hotel café, and Ali worked as a pool lifeguard. They met there, became friends, and later a couple. At first, she said he was very nice and helped her a lot."
By 2025, while living in Haifa, the couple married. "They dreamed of a big family, of at least three children," Diana says. However, according to her testimony, troubling signs soon emerged in the relationship. Ali allegedly attempted to control how Yanina dressed and where she went, later suspecting her of communicating with other men.
Escalating Fear and Abuse
After Yanina gave birth to their son, she stopped working and became financially dependent on her husband. Diana notes that jealousy, suspicion, and anger intensified following the birth. Even receiving minor assistance from a stranger with the baby carriage triggered Ali's anger.
"She said she was receiving blows and that he was threatening her that if she told anyone, he would take the child away from her. She was afraid. She wasn't financially independent and almost had no one here," Diana stated.
Days before the murder, Yanina's phone was reportedly broken during a dispute. During a trip to Eilat, Yanina sought ways to escape her situation. She told a friend she wanted a divorce and feared for her life and the baby's safety, awaiting a passport for her son to flee to Belarus.
Seeking Justice and Repatriation
Following Yanina's tragic murder in Haifa, friends have launched a fundraising campaign to repatriate her body to Belarus so her mother can lay her to rest and seek custody of the orphaned child. Meanwhile, friends have expressed frustration with the investigation, handing over audio recordings and evidence documenting the alleged abuse to the Israel Police to ensure a thorough probe.
