Big
news in Australia
Israel
admits suicide of Prisoner X
After
more than two years of silence, the Israeli Government has admitted a
prisoner it held in detention for "security reasons" –
believed to be the Australian Ben Zygier – committed suicide in
custody.
14
February, 2013
Amid
increasing pressure on the Israeli and Australian Governments to
reveal what they knew about the December 2010 death of Mr Zygier in
solitary confinement in Ayalon Prison, Israel's Justice Ministry
released a statement on Wednesday night announcing that the court's
gag order had been partially lifted.
Without
naming Mr Zygier or identifying him as an Australian citizen, the
statement said: "For security reasons, the prisoner was held
under a pseudonym, but his family was notified of the arrest
immediately. The prisoner was held by proxy of an arrest warrant
issued by the court. The proceedings were overseen by senior
officials in the Justice Ministry and he was duly represented in all
the proceedings against him by attorneys Roi Belcher, Moshe Mazor and
Boaz Ben-Zur.
"The
prisoner's legal rights were observed at all times, according to the
law," the statement said.
One
of Israel's most prominent human rights lawyer, Avigdor Feldman, told
the Israeli news site ynet.com: "I'm the last lawyer who saw him
alive. They asked me to see him and a day after that he was gone.
"When
I saw him, I saw no signs that he was going to kill himself. He
sounded rational and he asked pertinent legal questions that I can't
expand on."
The
Justice Ministry's statement said the prisoner was found dead in his
cell two years ago and that Jude Daphna Blatman Kedrai – president
of the Rishon LeZion Magistrate's Court – ordered an inquiry into
his death.
Six
weeks ago, the investigation ruled the prisoner's death a suicide and
the judge recommended that the state pursue a negligence
investigation in the matter, Ynet reported.
"National
security prevents the release of any other details in this case,"
the Justice Ministry statement reads. "These aspects of national
security have been reviewed by the Central District Court, which
decided to impose a comprehensive gag order on the case.
"The
order was given at the request of the defence establishment, and was
approved by the Justice Ministry."
Human
rights groups had long campaigned for details about the circumstances
of Prisoner X's arrest, detention and suicide to be made public.
The
Association of Civil Rights In Israel sent a letter on Wednesday to
the deputy attorney-general, Shai Nitzan, asking that he allow the
disclosure of additional details in the case of Prisoner X, who is
widely believed to be Mr Zygier.
"Was
this indeed a suicide? Was there negligence in the supervision of the
detainee? Has any official body taken responsibility? What steps have
been taken to prevent the recurrence of similar events in the
future?," the letter from the association's chief legal counsel,
Dan Yakir, said.
It
was of deep concern that "people could disappear and be held in
prison in total secrecy and isolation", Mr Yakir told Fairfax
Media.
Fairfax
Media spoke to Mr Zygier in Israel early 2010 after learning that
ASIO was investigating at least three dual Australian-Israeli
citizens who had emigrated to Israel in the past decade. ASIO would
not comment on the case then or now.
In
each case, the men had used the new passports to travel to Iran,
Syria and Lebanon – all countries that do not recognise Israel and
do not allow Israelis to enter. Israel also bans its citizens from
travelling to these countries.
"I
have never been to any of those countries that you say I have been
to," Mr Zygier told Fairfax Media at the time. "I am not
involved in any kind of spying."
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