Belaaz has learned of a 24-hour, overnight international diplomatic operation, involving senior officials from the United States, Israel, the United Kingdom, and Moldova, which successfully secured the release of the body of Rabbi Akiva Rand z”l, a 29-year-old father of three who was killed in a car accident near Chișinău, Moldova, allowing him to be brought to kevurah in Eretz Yisrael.

The niftar, a member of the Chernobyl community who lived in Yerushalayim, was traveling with a group of Chasidim to mark the yahrzeit of a Tzadik buried in the city’s Jewish cemetery when he lost control of his vehicle, which plunged into a ravine. Tragically, he was killed instantly. He is survived by his wife and three children. Rabbi Rand was a respected member of the Chernobyl kehillah in Yerushalayim, where he learned in Kollel Nachalas Akiva and was known among friends and fellow Chassidim as a talmid chacham.

The group had been traveling to the tziyun of the Krilovitzer Rebbe zy’a, Harav Yechiel Heshil of Krilovitz (1843–1916), a scion of the Apta-Zinkov dynasty and son-in-law of the Belzer Rebbe zy’a, Harav Yehoshua Rokeach. The Krilovitzer Rebbe is buried in Chișinău’s old cemetery on Milano Street, near the tziyunim of Harav Avraham Schneersohn zt”l and Harav Yehuda Leib Tzirelson zt”l.

Immediately following the crash, a race against the clock began as ZAKA volunteers and international activists worked to prevent an autopsy and preserve kavod hameis. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also participated in the diplomatic effort.

Under Moldovan law, a sudden or accidental death of this nature would typically trigger a mandatory post-mortem examination, a procedure that runs directly against halacha and is universally fought by Jewish communal organizations whenever it arises abroad.

A U.S. State Department official confirmed to Belaaz that American diplomats were heavily involved in the around-the-clock operation to secure Rabbi Rand’s release and prevent an autopsy. Because Rabbi Rand held dual American and British citizenship, the State Department worked closely with the Jewish community, Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, and Moldova’s Ambassador to the United States, Viorel Ursu, who is known within the community as Kolminski.

A relative of the niftar told Belaaz that Rabbi Moshe Dovid Niederman of UJO Williamsburg, Tzvi Gluck of Amudim, and Rabbi Moshe Margaretten of Tzedek, working with the office of Rep. Mike Lawler, were involved in the efforts to urge the State Department to act on Rabbi Rand’s behalf. Other sources tell Belaaz that askanim from Slonim community, including Elyakim Shtark and Shia Shlesinger, worked with the US State Department to navigate the crisis to its resolution.

The sources say that the case remained a top priority in Washington and Chișinău alike.

Baruch Hashem, Moldovan authorities ultimately agreed to release Rabbi Rand’s body without an autopsy. The family has clarified that, following the release, a refrigerated truck was arranged to keep the niftar by a local Chabad house over Shabbos. He is set to be flown to Israel aboard a private jet on Motzoei Shabbos for kevurah.

Word of the accident reached the Chernobyl community in Yerushalayim and around the world on Wednesday, plunging the chassidus into mourning. The Chernobyl Rebbe, Shlita, issued a fervent appeal to the public to daven that the body be released for burial as swiftly as possible, a request that went out to Chassidim worldwide while the diplomatic effort was still underway and the outcome remained uncertain.

Despite relentless lobbying by askanim from both Moldova and Eretz Yisrael in the hours immediately following the crash, the body had not yet been released, prompting the Rebbe to call on Chassidim around the world to intensify their tefillos.