in which he fled Israel. Berland's followers claimed that the king was merely concerned for their safety, as they were Hasidic Jews living in a Muslim country. Berland is thought to have left Morocco for Cairo, Egypt. He reportedly bought tickets for multiple destinations to confuse pursuers and in the end chose Zimbabwe. From there, he allegedly took a flight to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he was taken in by a relative. On April 14, 2014, the Chief Rabbi of South Africa, Warren Goldstein, called on the South African Jewish community not to shelter or support Berland. Berland then flew to Zimbabwe, reportedly in a private jet owned by a wealthy follower. He lived in an upscale hotel room in Bulawayo and led worship services for members of the small Zimbabwean Jewish community in a synagogue in the Bulawayo suburb of Khumalo. He was joined by some of his followers. He hired two attorneys in Israel due to the possibility of being forced to return to Israel if his options ran out. On April 7, 2014, police raided Berland's hotel room and found him with some followers from Israel. After it was established that his visitor's visa had expired, he was arrested and charged with remaining in Zimbabwe without a permit. He pleaded guilty before a magistrate judge, and was remanded to custody. He was also reportedly questioned over the sexual assault allegations. A magistrate judge gave him a choice between paying a $200 fine or three months in prison, and ordered him expelled. Berland paid the fine, and left for South Africa, returning to Johannesburg. There, he lived in hiding, and managed, with help from followers, to narrowly escape two attempts by police to detain him. The South African Jewish Report featured the first interview of a student trying to defend Berland. He claimed there was a conspiracy against the rabbi due to religious persecution by a sectarian Israeli government. In September 2014, Berland left South Africa to the Netherlands and was arrested after arriving at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol on September 11. Shortly after his detention, Berland was released. A Dutch court ruled against his extradition as there was no active arrest warrant for him in Israel. The Israeli police confirmed that he was only wanted for questioning. In an interview with Israeli media shortly after his release, Berland claimed that the police had told him the charges were