Noor Maasarwe was watching the news in Israel when she realised that her missing sister, Aiia, had been found dead in Melbourne. “I [saw] in the news that they found a body. They didn’t say for who it was,” Maasarwe told Nine News on Sunday from Israel. “But it matches all the details. It was on the same road. Everything. I was just praying that it’s not her. Sign up for Guardian Australia's Morning Mail “But then I saw the shoes and her phone ... and I was sure it was her.” The family initially thought the 21-year-old international student was kidnapped or had fallen while returning home from a comedy show late on Tuesday. Her body was found the following morning within a kilometre of where she was living in Bundoora. Hundreds were expected to gather at the site, now adorned in flowers and messages, on Sunday. “There is never going to be a good enough, rational reason that explains why someone would take the life of another person, one full of life, happy and innocently trusting the streets of their community to walk home and end up the way poor Aiia has,” a social media post for the event said. “We ask everyone to ensure they come with a peaceful mindset, this is not a march, but a peaceful gathering to ensure the message to those who insist on behaving with such disregard and disrespect for others is not acceptable.” The event was one of several which have been organised in memory of Maasarwe, a Palestinian Arab of Israeli citizenship. Overnight, about 1,000 people gathered outside a mosque in Israel calling for the quick return of Maasarwe’s body. “The Land Wants Aiia Back,” read some of the placards, while others called for an end to violence against women across the globe. They chanted “we need Aiia home”, “we are all Aiia’s sister’s, Aiia is the daughter of all of us”. Masaarwe’s body remained with the Victorian coroner. A Victorian government spokesperson said the coroner was working as “quickly as possible”. “We understand how important it is to the family for Aiia to go home,” they said. “We are working with the coroner, Victoria police and victims support agencies to expedite this process.” A 20-year-old man faced the Melbourne magistrates’ court on Saturday charged with Masaarwe’s rape and murder. The man has been remanded to reappear in the same court on Monday.<doc-sep>Everywhere I go in Melbourne women are talking about the murder of Aiia Maasarwe in despair that there is literally nothing they can do to be safe. #AiiaMaasarwe<doc-sep>The sister of slain Israeli student Aiia Maasarwe has opened up about the devastating moment she learned her sister had been allegedly raped and murdered - as police reveal a lucky break led to the accused killer's arrest. Noor Maasarwe said her 21-year-old sister often feared for her life and never felt safe while walking home on the stretch of road where her body was found in the northern Melbourne suburb of Bundoora on Wednesday. The road was dimly lit and every night Aiia called her older sister as she walked home, Noor said. Noor broke down on Sunday as she described Aiia as a beautiful soul who always put a smile on people's faces. The sister of slain Israeli student Aiia Maasarwe (pictured) recalled details of the chilling phone call they shared minutes before her alleged rape and murder Noor (pictured) broke down on Sunday as she described Aiia as a beautiful soul who always put a smile on people's faces Police arrested Codey Herrmann (pictured), 20, on Friday morning after manhunt for the alleged killer Ruba Maasarwe (left) the sister of murdered Israeli student Aiia Maasarwe (right) has detailed the chilling FaceTime call they shared before she was allegedly raped and murdered - which cut off to the sound of 'yelling and shouting' She told Nine News she found out the 21-year-old had allegedly been killed on the news. 'I [saw] in the news that they found a body. They didn't say who it was,' Noor said. 'But it matches all the details. It was on the same road. Everything. I was just praying that it's not her. 'But then I saw the shoes and her phone ... and I was sure it was her.' Aiia was on the phone with her other sister, Ruba Maasarwe, when she was allegedly attacked. Ruba has since revealed details of their late-night call. 'We spoke on the phone on FaceTime. We spoke about the stand-up comedy she saw and when we would next meet,' Ruba told Israeli TV station Channel 13. 'Suddenly I heard her scream. I heard vehicles in the background of the call like there was a phone on the floor. 'There was no sign during the conversation of the horror about to happen. 'I heard her screaming and screaming and then the call was cut off.' Ruba Maasarwe's recounting of her late-night safety call came after homeless rapper Codey Herrmann (pictured), 20, faced court on Saturday charged with killing her sister Ms Maasarwe had spent the night at a comedy club before boarding the 86 tram from Bourke Street, heading to her home in Bundoora. She left the tram around midnight. Her body was discovered in scrub, nearby, the next day Noor Maasarwe said her 21-year-old sister often feared for her life and never felt safe while walking home on the stretch of road where her body was found Aiia's body was found half-naked near the Polaris Shopping Centre on Wednesday morning after she was allegedly attacked while walking home the night before. The 21-year-old had moved to Melbourne on a one-year exchange program to study at La Trobe University. Aspiring rapper Codey Herrmann, 20, faced court charged with the alleged rape and murder of the Israeli exchange student. Herrmann was arrested after the 'outstanding' work of a Melbourne police officer who recognised a distinctive hat and T-shirt from the scene of the death. Early in the investigation police released images of clothing they believed was left behind - a '1986' cap and two-toned grey t-shirt. A local leading senior constable remembered he stopped a man allegedly wearing the exact clothing four days earlier, The Age reported. Within an hour, the officer and a senior detective found and arrested Herrmann. Without the lucky break it is unlikely an arrest would have been made so soon, due to Victorian laws on DNA sampling. Proposed legislation changing the laws stalled in the Upper House due to Victoria's state election in November. The legislation would have enabled police to collect DNA from every arrest, helping them to quickly identify offenders. However, current laws only allow DNA samples to be taken on conviction and by court order. If the police officer had not recognised Herrmann's alleged clothing, he may not have been caught as quickly. Hundreds of people gathered in the northern Melbourne suburb of Bundoora on Sunday as a tribute to the 21-year-old A makeshift memorial was set up where her body was found on Main Drive with flowers and candles laid by members of the public Ms Maasarwe's father Saaed was also at the tribute where he thanked many for their attendance A vigil service was held outside the same centre where her body was found on Sunday, during which hundreds of people stood in solidarity with her father, Saaed. A makeshift memorial was set up where her body was found on Main Drive, covered in flowers and notes for the Israeli student. The Facebook page for the event pleaded attendees to come with a 'peaceful mindset'. 'This Sunday we ask you to come and pay respect, ensure we peacefully make it quite clear this kind of act and violent behaviours of others will no longer be tolerated with our or any other community,' read the description for the event. Meanwhile, thousands gathered in Israel, pleading for Ms Maasarwe's body to be brought home. At the same time as Aiia's memorial, thousands of people also took to the streets of Sydney for the annual Women's March. Protesters gathered in the CBD as a symbol of change and solidarity, drawing awareness to the issue of violence against women. The March started in 2017 in response to Donald Trump becoming president and has become an annual event ever since. Protesters gathered in the CBD as a symbol of change and solidarity, drawing awareness to the issue of violence against women Several thousand people have marched through Sydney's streets, demanding they be made safe for women following the murder of Aiia Masaarwe The March started in 2017 in response to Donald Trump becoming president and has become an annual event ever since<doc-sep>The Victorian police have charged a 20-year-old man with the murder of Palestinian student Aiia Maasarwe. Codey Herrmann, of Greensborough, briefly faced Melbourne magistrates court on Saturday where he made no application for bail. He has been remanded in custody to appear in the same court on Monday. Maasarwe, a 21-year-old an Israeli national from the predominantly Arab city of Baqa al-Gharbiyye had been in Melbourne for six months, and was attacked just after midnight on Tuesday, Victorian police believe. She had boarded the No86 tram home to her apartment near Latrobe University in Bundoora after attending a gig at the Comics Lounge in North Melbourne. She was on a video call to her sister when she was attacked, and her body was found by tradesmen about 50 metres from a tram stop on the corner of Plenty Road and Main Drive. Herrmann is alleged to have assaulted and killed her at the same location, the court was told on Saturday. Earlier on Saturday prime minister Scott Morrison and his family visited the Melbourne memorial where the student’s body was found. “Later today I’m going to be meeting with her father; words will fail me, I’m sure, as one father to another,” he told reporters. “I think the country is very shaken by it but at the same time, as always, reaches out and seeks to comfort.”<doc-sep>
The sister of slain Israeli student Aiia Maasarwe has revealed details of the chilling final phone call they shared moments before she was allegedly raped and murdered. Ruba Maasarwe's recounting of her late-night safety call came after homeless rapper Codey Herrmann, 20, faced court on Saturday charged with killing her sister. Aiia Maasarwe's body was found half-naked near the Polaris Shopping Centre in the northern Melbourne suburb of Bundoora on Wednesday morning after she was attacked while walking home the night before. 'We spoke on the phone on FaceTime. We spoke about the stand-up comedy she saw and when we would next meet,' Ruba told Israeli TV station Channel 13. 'Suddenly I heard her scream. I heard vehicles in the background of the call like there was a phone on the floor. 'There was no sign during the conversation of the horror about to happen. 'I heard her screaming and screaming and then the call was cut off.' Ruba Maasarwe (left) the sister of murdered Israeli student Aiia Maasarwe (right) has detailed the chilling FaceTime call they shared before she was allegedly raped and murdered - which cut off to the sound of 'yelling and shouting' Aiia Maasarwe's father Saeed said he was trying to stay strong for Ms Maasarwe's mother and his other three children 'We spoke on the phone on FaceTime. We spoke about the stand-up comedy she saw and when we would next meet,' Ruba said of the late-night call with her sister (pictured) Ruba Maasarwe's recounting of her late-night safety call came after homeless rapper Codey Herrmann (pictured), 20, faced court on Saturday charged with killing her sister It has also been revealed the 21-year-old exchange student died of head injuries and had suffered blunt-force trauma. The 86 tram she caught home did not have CCTV installed but police no longer believe she was stalked on the way home, the Herald Sun reported. It was previously suspected Ms Maasarwe was followed after a night out in the city watching a comedy show, but police now believe the attack was random. Specific details of her gruesome killing have been removed from court documents at the request of police. Senior Constable Craig Williams said he didn't think it was necessary for the details to be released. 'Some of the specific words in there aren't known to the family,' he said. Self-described aspiring rapper Codey Herrmann (pictured), was charged with rape and murder on Saturday Ms Maasarwe had spent the night at a comedy club before boarding the 86 tram from Bourke Street, heading to her home in Bundoora. She left the tram around midnight. Her body was discovered in scrub, nearby, the next day Her father Saeed, who on Saturday met with Prime Minister Scott Morrison, said he was trying to stay strong for Aiia's mother and his other three children. 'It gives us a sense of comfort knowing that person has been charged,' Mr Maasarwe said. 'Our compass in this world and our life is not to point towards hatred and revenge. 'We don't have any other option but to be strong so we can pass through this very difficult time and painful stage and to continue living, providing for the other three girls, to support them and give them what they need.' Ms Maasarwe's body has yet to be returned to Israel and is still with the Victorian Coroner. Saeed Maasarwe has pleaded to be allowed to take his daughter home to Israel so she could be buried as soon as possible, in accordance with his Islamic faith. Her father said he wanted her body to be given to the family earlier, but was hopeful authorities would do so by Monday. Mr Maasarwe said his daughter had planned to extend her stay in Australia before she was violently killed. Ms Maasarwe's cousin Manar said Aiia told her Australia was 'wonderful' and encouraged her to visit the country. 'I told her ''it's a long flight, it's going to take a long time''. She said ''I know but you have to come here and see this. It's wonderful. I am enjoying everything'',' Manar said. The accused, who was arrested on Friday at a picnic shelter in Greensborough, ten kilometers away from the crime scene, wore a green t-shirt at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Saturday as he sat with his head lowered in the dock.