NationStates Jolt Archive

Vanunu convicted for media links
A court in Israel has convicted former nuclear technician Mordechai Vanunu of violating a military order banning him from speaking to foreign journalists.
The verdict could mean a fresh jail term for Mr Vanunu, who served 18 years in prison for revealing details of Israel's clandestine nuclear programme.

His lawyer called it intolerable to convict a person for the mere act of speaking, never mind whatever was said.

A sentencing hearing is set for 18 May. Vanunu is banned from leaving Israel.

"We should be clear here that Vanunu was convicted for the very act of speaking to non-Israelis, rather than the content of those conversations," lawyer Michel Sfard said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6607199.stm

Now he's already served 18 years, 8 of which, as far as I recall, were in solitary. Theres people convicted of "terrorist" offences who've had a far easier time of it than this man. Surely its time somebody showed some sense. It looks bad, is bad, and rather insane to persecute him in this manner.

Well if Israel doesn't have nukes, theres no need for all of this, but if they do...

I can understand why they would ban him from revealing secrets (I assume to do with their nuclear programme), whether I agree with it or not, but to ban someone outright from talking to foreign journalists period, regardless of what was said, is is rather OTT. Plus, what's stopping him from talking to an Israeli journalist what he would tell a foreign journalist?

Well as he did his talking 20 years ago and was nabbed afterwards, its highly unlikely hes got anything left to leak.

This whole affair is one of those few things I will unequivocally call a big crime that the Israeli state has committed over the past decades. Yes, he leaked info he shouldn't have leaked and he went to jail for it (which I personally find horrible already, because its just the capriciousness of the state).

But what they did to him after he got out of jail is even worse. They're never gonna leave him alone, and that is just sad. Hell, didn't Olmert admit the obvious by accident a while ago? Maybe he should go to jail for a few years as well.

It's a sad state of affairs, and unworthy of the democracy that is Israel.

Nuclear programe?...like the type that Iran isn't allowed to have?