Krakow Court Releases Two Israeli Women on Bail in Major Khat Smuggling Case
A Krakow court released two young Israeli ultra-Orthodox women on bail after three months in detention for smuggling 100 kg of khat, facing strict travel restrictions.
A court in Krakow, Poland, has released on bail two young ultra-Orthodox women after three and a half months in pre-trial detention. The women were arrested on June 19 after arriving on a flight from Israel with 100 kilograms of khat in their luggage—50 kg each. Khat is classified as an illegal narcotic in Poland and across the European Union.
Legal Proceedings and Conditions
The court accepted the arguments of their defense attorney, Vit Steidler, who argued that continued detention was unnecessary. Under the terms of their release, the women must report weekly to the police and are barred from leaving Poland until the legal proceedings conclude. Attorney Steidler noted that the quantity seized is considered massive under Polish law, carrying a potential sentence of 3 to 23 years in prison if convicted.
"Even I as a lawyer was surprised by the court's decision to release them," Steidler said. "However, they are young women, this is the first time they did such a foolish act, and there is no point in keeping them in isolation. I was fortunate that the judge listened to me."
The Smuggling Trap and Strict Polish Enforcement
Khat is in high demand in Europe among immigrant communities from Ethiopia and Eritrea. Organizers in Israel frequently recruit vulnerable or naive young people, often from the ultra-Orthodox community, offering a free flight and 5,000 shekels to act as couriers. Recruiters routinely mislead the couriers, claiming that getting caught will result in nothing more than a minor fine or confiscation of luggage.
In reality, Poland maintains exceptionally strict laws regarding drug smuggling. Authorities utilize aggressive pre-trial detention as a shock tactic and punitive measure. For normative young people, the detention involves harsh prison conditions, isolation from family, language barriers, and a lack of kosher food. Mordechai Tzivin, an Israeli attorney who volunteered to assist one of the detained women alongside the Polish defense team, expressed gratitude to Polish law enforcement for demonstrating humane understanding of the circumstances.
