Nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu was convicted yesterday by the Jerusalem Magistrates Court of violating an order prohibiting him from having contacts with foreigners and granting media interviews.

Vanunu was released in April 2004 after serving 18 years in prison for aiding the enemy. He had given an interview to a British newspaper, The Sunday Times, in which he discussed his work at the Dimona nuclear reactor.

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Two days before his release, then GOC Home Front Command Yair Naveh issued an order forbidding him from "holding contacts or exchanging information" with foreigners, including participating in Internet chats. An additional order prevented him from leaving Israel.

Vanunu was convicted of 14 counts relating to contacts with journalists, during which he apparently provided information on Israel's nuclear arsenal. This included the size of the arsenal in 1986, and his assessment regarding the production of hydrogen and neutron bombs.

He was also convicted of trying to leave Israel for Bethlehem, but was cleared of the charges linked to his Internet contacts because the evidence was deemed inadmissible.

Attorneys Michael Sfard and Avigdor Feldman, who represented Vanunu, argued that the order was unreasonable and ambiguous, and that Naveh did not have the authority to issue it.

The presiding judge, Yoel Tzur, rejected the claims, saying that "as the Supreme Court ruled the order was based on the fact that the defendant holds within his memory secret information that has yet to be made public, and should it be published could harm Israel's security interests."

Vanunu said after the hearing that his conviction proves that Israel has nuclear weapons.