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Nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu gesturing during his trial in Jerusalem two months ago. (Tomer Appelbaum)
Last update - 16:18 02/07/2007
Vanunu to return to prison for violating the terms of his parole
By Nir Hasson, Haaretz Correspondent

The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court has sentenced nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu to six months in jail for violating the terms of his parole.

Vanunu, a former technician at Israel's nuclear plant near the southern town of Dimona, spent 18 years in prison for giving details of the country's atomic program to British newspaper "Sunday Times" in 1986.

Upon his release in 2004, Vanunu was banned from leaving the country and talking to foreigners without approval, because Israeli authorities claimed he could still divulge classified information.
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Some two months ago, Vanunu was convicted of 14 parole violations including contacts with journalists and attempts to leave Israel proper to go to Bethlehem, which is in the West Bank.

The court's sentence was unexpected, and even the prosecution expected the court to hand down a suspended sentence, meant solely as a deterrent.

Vanunu's attorneys, Michael Sfard and Avigdor Feldman, said before the conviction was handed down that the terms of their client's parole order were unreasonable.

According to the verdict, "The order stemmed from the fact that the accused had hoarded in his memory classified information that has not been released, and the release of which could harm the security interests of Israel."

After the verdict was announced, Vanunu said that his conviction proves that Israel is still ruled, in effect, by the British mandate, because the law under which he was convicted is from that era.

"Maybe I need to turn to the queen or to Tony Blair in order to grant me justice," he said.
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  1.   New profession invented 14:29  |  Shlomo 02/07/07
  2.   HOME SWEET HOME 14:37  |  Jay A Friedman 02/07/07
  3.   He knows the rules 14:38  |  Mark Lincoln 02/07/07
  4.   HE MISSED BARGHOUTY 14:38  |  indrajaya 02/07/07
  5.   spirit of punishment and sadism 14:42  |  mehmet 02/07/07
  6.   Vanunu to return to prison 14:50  |  Yvette Gross 02/07/07
  7.   Vanunu is mainly punished for converting 15:00  |  Sensible 02/07/07
  8.   Maybe he likes it there 15:03  |  Big Al 02/07/07
  9.   Vanunu`s new secret is out: Tony Blair still Britain`s PM! 15:03  |  Amazed 02/07/07
  10.   Those foreign journalists 15:08  |  JW 02/07/07
  11.   6 Months for Vanunu, Katsav still free to rape 15:15  |  SJ 02/07/07
  12.   it`s a shame 15:18  |  lola 02/07/07
  13.   Vanunu 15:18  |  Jörg Bremer 02/07/07
  14.   Swop the bastard for Pollard!!!! 15:21  |  Choni Davidowitz 02/07/07
  15.   So where is Bethlehem, after all? 15:25  |  velvl shmerlson 02/07/07
  16.   Van Nu Nu! 15:27  |  Odessey 02/07/07
  17.   Vanunu was asking for it 15:52  |  D 02/07/07
  18.   Dumb 15:55  |  JJ 02/07/07
  19.   #15 15:56  |  D 02/07/07
  20.   his entire raison d`etre is to be in jail. This is what he wants. 15:56  |  don 02/07/07
  21.   I admire the values of this society. 16:13  |  Andreas 02/07/07
  22.   #15 New to Israel? 16:18  |  Kate 02/07/07
  23.   Main Problem With Vanunu 16:18  |  Yosemite 02/07/07
  24.   And what were you saying about Pollard? 16:29  |  ballistic 02/07/07
  25.   #5 mehmet 16:29  |  * BEN JABO 02/07/07
  26.   #11 SJ 16:32  |  * BEN JABO 02/07/07
  27.   Parole Parole Parole 16:36  |  Jonas Barbosa 02/07/07
  28.   Mr Vanunu. 16:36  |  David Nigel Braham 02/07/07
  29.   Speaking of Pollard... 16:47  |  Seth Halpern 02/07/07
  30.   If this were Russia.... 16:49  |  Daniel 02/07/07
  31.   Vanunu 16:58  |  Zoe 02/07/07
  32.   # 30 Daniel: If this were Russia ... 16:59  |  Axel 02/07/07
  33.   He didn`t commit any crimes? That`s laughable! 17:08  |  Gili 02/07/07
  34.   Yosemite #23 17:08  |  JJ 02/07/07
  35.   Daniel #30 17:13  |  JJ 02/07/07
  36.   Davidowitz #14 17:18  |  JJ 02/07/07
  37.   #7 Vanunu is mainly punished... 17:23  |  ATLAS 02/07/07
  38.   Betlehem is part of Israel as is Tel Aviv and Golan 17:28  |  Joseph E . 02/07/07
  39.   Jonas Barbosa - not correct 17:30  |  Mark Lincoln 02/07/07
  40.   Israel is showing its weakness 17:41  |  Man 02/07/07
  41.   To Lola Its a shame 17:45  |  Janyard Horster 02/07/07
  42.   vanunu is a mercenary scum, not a whistleblower 17:56  |  john nemesh 02/07/07
  43.   rapeDogs 18:19  |  Elias 02/07/07
  44.   Israel shoots itself in foot again 18:23  |  Justicia 02/07/07
  45.   Speaking to journalists is no treason - 18:30  |  Sensible 02/07/07
  46.   Let him go 19:33  |  Lee Kaplan 02/07/07
  47.   Only in Israel 19:42  |  Guy From NYC 02/07/07
  48.   Longer sentence than Katsev 19:47  |  Tim 02/07/07
  49.   vanunu 19:55  |  Neil Fiertel 02/07/07
  50.   Mark Lincoln 20:00  |  J.Barbosa 02/07/07
  51.   Prison should become Vanunu`s HOME FOREVER 20:15  |  Vittorio 02/07/07
  52.   Interesting, what this says about Israel 20:20  |  Thomas Jackson 02/07/07
  53.   Free Vanunu 20:21  |  Iwantmycountryback 02/07/07
  54.   JUSTICE BY THE CHOSEN ONES 20:32  |  JACKAL 02/07/07
  55.   Poor Vanunu 20:34  |  Danite 02/07/07
  56.   Nobody talk about Israel`s vast stock of nukes 21:03  |  Clickfool 02/07/07
  57.   zoe 31 21:03  |  let`s be serious 02/07/07
  58.   Free Vanunu! 21:08  |  Kim 02/07/07
  59.   de MOCK racy...... 21:16  |  Miriam 02/07/07
  60.   Vanunu the Kosmic Kvetch 21:23  |  Bill 02/07/07
  61.   re Israel shoots itself in foot again 21:32  |  copa 02/07/07
  62.   Vanunu is a Lion .. Pollard is a Rat 21:35  |  Natallie Durson 02/07/07
  63.   "attempts to leave Israel proper to go to Bethlehem" 21:40  |  Victor 02/07/07
  64.   to BEN JABO 21:51  |  mehmet 02/07/07
  65.   THE TRAITOR! 22:17  |  ljf-canada 02/07/07
  66.   He should get life, since he endagered Israel`s security 22:23  |  John 02/07/07
  67.   Where is know all INDRAJAYA for his 1/2 cent commentary? 22:26  |  Genuine Tosefta 02/07/07
  68.   I don`t understand 22:31  |  confused 02/07/07
  69.   Vanunu`s sentence 22:39  |  Jake Terpstra 02/07/07
  70.   Any sense here? 22:44  |  Jecheskel 02/07/07
  71.   Vanunu is a JEWISH hero : let him free ! 22:44  |  Yankelowitz 02/07/07
  72.   What could he know that`s 20 years old? 22:49  |  Don Camillo 02/07/07
  73.   Vanunu vs Pollard: what`s the difference? 23:03  |  K 02/07/07