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30-Mar-2005

Israeli parliamentary committee asked to debate restrictions on Vanunu's liberty

by: Brian Bunyan

Israel: Upon his release in April 2004, M. Vanunu was placed under extremely severe restrictions, specifically not being allowed to leave Israel for the United States as he wished, despite completing his prison sentence in full.

The restrictions prohibit him from travelling abroad, or even changing his city of residence without permission from security authorities, from contacting foreign citizens and media as well as limiting his ability to communicate with friends and supporters. In November 2004, Vanunu was arrested in a massive police raid on St. George's guesthouse in east Jerusalem, where he has been receiving sanctuary, his computers and phones were confiscated and personal documents were seized. He was released after being questioned on the suspicion of violating the restrictions by giving interviews to foreign media. Sadly, on Christmas Eve, 2004, he was arrested again on his way to Bethlehem to celebrate mass.

A new hope arose when Knesset member, Issam Makhoul of the Hadash party, requested a special convention of the Knesset constitution, law and judiciary Committee to discuss the restrictions that were imposed on him keeping him a hostage in Israel. A panel of local and international human rights experts are preparing to address the parliamentary committee and call for lifting of all restrictions. The panel includes attorney Dan Yakir, chief legal counsel of the association for civil rights in Israel; Dan Ellsberg (USA), the former pentagon employee who in 1971 leaked the pentagon papers; attorney Jennifer Harbury (USA), author and director of the UUSC STOP torture campaign; and attorney Fredrik S. Heffermehl (Norway), an expert on international law, author and vice president of lawyers against nuclear arms. The date of the Knesset committee meeting will be announced separately.

Ironically, the restrictions are based on the 1945 state of emergency regulations, first introduced by the British mandate and continually renewed by the Knesset. These regulations enable the state to penalize people without trial, and can be renewed indefinitely. In July 2004, Israel's supreme court rejected Vanunu's appeal against the restrictions and the use of the emergency regulations.

Source: Felice Cohen-Joppa, Coordinator, U.S. Campaign to Free Mordechai Vanunu