CAIRO - An Egyptian court sentenced two Israelis who were tried in absentia, and an Egyptian businessman, to life in prison on Thursday for spying for Israel.
Egypt arrested businessman Tarek Abdel Rezek Hussein, 37, the owner of an import-export firm, in August for involvement in the recruitment of operatives working for telecoms firms in Egypt, Syria and Lebanon.
RELATED:Lebanese officer gets 20 years for spying for IsraelIran hangs man convicted of spying for IsraelTwo Israelis, alleged Mossad operatives named Idi Moshe and Joseph Dimo, who have not been arrested but were accused of being part of the spy ring, were also convicted and sentenced by the emergency state security court, Egyptian newspaper
Al-Ahram reported.
Hussein was accused of accepting $37,000 to provide Israel with information about Egyptians working in telecoms companies who could be recruited to spy in Egypt, Syria and Lebanon.
The rulings were issued by judge Gamal el-Din Safwat Rushdi, witnesses in court said.
The case is separate from one
involving Ilan Grapel, 27, a dual US-Israeli citizen who was detained on June 12 on suspicion of spying. Israel has denied he is a spy.
Over the years, Egypt has arrested a number of people accused of spying for Israel.
In 2007, Egypt convicted a 31-year-old Egyptian-Canadian dual national of
spying for Israel. Three Israelis were charged in absentia. Israel
dismissed the case as a fabrication.
In 1996, Egypt sentenced Azzam Azzam, an Israeli Arab textile worker, to
15 years in jail for spying for Israel. Egypt said Azzam had passed
messages in women's underwear using invisible ink.
Both Azzam and Israel denied the charges. He was released after serving
eight years as part of a deal that included the release of six Egyptian
students in Israel.
Jpost.com staff contributed to this report.