Israel nuclear whistle-blower facing jail-stint once again

Israel nuclear whistle-blower facing jail-stint once again
An Israeli nuclear whistle-blower who served 18 years for revealing sensitive information to a British newspaper, has been convicted of breaching his conditions of release, a court said on Monday.
1 min read
24 January, 2017
Vanunu was released in 2004 after serving 18 years [Getty]
Israeli nuclear whistle-blower Mordechai Vanunu was convicted of violating the terms of his release, more than a decade after completing an 18-year jail term, a court announced on Monday.

Vanunu, who was slapped with a series of restraining orders upon his release in 2004, was convicted of meeting with two US nationals in Jerusalem in 2013 without having permission to do so.

He was cleared of two other charges, one of which related to an interview he gave to Israel's Channel 2 television in 2015, and will be sentenced in two months, a court statement said.

Vanunu's conviction was ordered on January 18.

However, the ruling was not made public until Monday. 

A sentencing hearing has been set for March 14.

The former nuclear technician was jailed in 1986 for disclosing the inner workings of Israel's Dimona nuclear plant to Britain's The Sunday Times newspaper.

Vanunu spent more than 10 years of his sentence in solitary confinement.

The former nuclear technician has landed himself back in prison on several occasions since his 2004 release, for breaching his release conditions.