Mordechai Vanunu
Mordechai Vanunu (Hebrew מרדכי ואנונו, born October 13, 1954 in Marrakech ) is an Israeli nuclear technician who revealed in 1986 the existence of the previously undisclosed nuclear research program of Israel, and thus evidence of nuclear-armed country.
Life
Vanunu is the son of Jewish- Moroccan immigrants. His father was a rabbi in Beersheba. After his military service Vanunu studied one year of physics, before he had to stop the study for financial reasons. Vanunu worked from 1976 as Controller of the night shift in long -held secret by the Israeli government Dimona Nuclear Research Center Negev, 90 km south of Jerusalem.
In addition, he attended the University of Beersheba philosophy courses and moved it from the political right to the extreme left bearing: he took courses at the Israeli Communist part and eventually joined their party. As a loner he found there, however, no friends, even a failed love affair. In December 1985 he was released in Dimona with 180 other workers and decided to make a trip around the world. He visited here several Asian countries. During a trip to Australia in 1986 he converted to Christianity. Soon after, he went with the assertion that Israel had become a nuclear power, to the public. He contacted initially the Daily Mirror, the publisher Robert Maxwell forwarded the photographs to Israel.
Even before the London Sunday Times, Vanunu's evidence after thorough examination by the British nuclear expert Frank Barnaby published in an article on October 5, 1986, Vanunu was lured on 30 September 1986 by the Israeli agent Cheryl Ben Tov to Rome, where kidnapped by the Mossad and then brought by ship to Israel. The kidnapping took place without the consent of the host country Italy.
For six weeks, denied the Israeli government to know something about Vanunu's whereabouts until he was able to let journalists from a police van to get out a message by a secret written on his palm message - " Vanunu M - what hijacked - in Rome ITL - 09/30/86 - came to Rome - by BA Fly 504 " - held on the window. For treason and espionage, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison, of which he spent about 11 years in solitary confinement in prison in Ashkelon Schikma.
On 21 April 2004, Vanunu was released under strict conditions. Among other things, he must not leave Israel, no foreign embassy may be closer and have to account for planned relocation accountable. In addition, he shall not use the Internet more mobile phones, and any contact with foreign journalists is forbidden. Despite the conditions he has already given more than 100 interviews, which he was imprisoned several times. He currently lives in Jerusalem in the guesthouse of St. George's Basilica.
On 11 November 2004, Ha'aretz reported the arrest of Vanunu. He had passed secret information. However, he was set free again by the strict rules, however, were extended for another year. In addition, being brought against him in connection with the re- arrest charges in 21 points.
On 2 July 2007, an Israeli court ruled that Vanunu goes to prison for six months again. It had found him guilty in April, had any contact with foreigners and have thus failed to meet requirements of justice. He appealed his sentence was reduced to three months.
On December 28, 2009 Mordechai Vanunu was arrested again and released the next day in a house arrest.
Because of the condemnation from the year 2007, he had to go on a three -month prison sentence on May 23, 2010. He had the choice of three months to go to jail or to perform community service. Vanunu wanted to do community service in the Arab eastern part of Jerusalem, because he felt threatened by attacks by angry Israelis in Jewish- populated western part of Jerusalem. This was forbidden him, so he had to go on a three -month prison sentence on May 23, 2010.
Awards
In 1987 he was awarded the Right Livelihood Award, 2001, he was awarded the University of Tromsø in Norway an honorary doctorate and in 2002 he received the Nuclear-Free Future Award in the category of " resistance." In December 2004 he was elected Rector of the University of Glasgow ( Scotland). He has been nominated for the Peace Prize of the Norwegian people.
In December 2010, Vanunu, Carl -von- Ossietzky - Medal should be awarded by the International League for Human Rights. But since he was not allowed to leave the country of Israel, there was held the ceremony in Berlin, a protest event, which was the start of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament ( nuclear-free zones) simultaneously. For this purpose, Joachim Johow composed a piece of music on 12 December 2010 had premiere. Previously, several Nobel Prize winners (including Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Günter Grass) and Nina Hagen had turned with the urgent request to let Vanunu leave to the Israeli government.
Vanunu Act
1998 was adopted " Vanunu 's Law" in Israel, which allows law enforcement agencies, also to open letters addressed to parliamentary deputies. This was previously banned due to their immunity.