Vanunu arrested upon entry to Jerusalem

As part of his release arrangement he was barred from visiting PA-controlled areas.

By YAAKOV KATZ
vanunu 88 (photo credit: )
vanunu 88
(photo credit: )
Nuclear whistleblower Mordehai Vanunu was arrested Friday night at the A-Ram checkpoint north of Jerusalem as he entered Jerusalem following a visit to Palestinian-controlled territories. Border Police inspecting a bus entering Jerusalem from the village of A-Ram spotted Vanunu sitting in the back. According to his court-apporved release conditions, Vanunu is forbidden from entering Palestinian controlled areas. Vanunu was detained by the police and taken to a station in northern Jerusalem. He was later transferred to the Police's International Serious Crimes Unit which decided to keep him in custody for 24 hours. "I was arrested because they don't want to let me enjoy freedom," Vanunu told reporters as he was led to a police van at the Jerusalem police station. Vanunu was released from prison in April 2004 following an 18-year prison sentence for revealing Israeli nuclear secrets to the Sunday Times. As part of his release arrangement, he was barred from leaving the country, visiting PA-controlled territories, meeting with foreigners and discussing his work at Israel's top-secret nuclear facility in Dimona. Friday was not the first time Vanunu was caught visiting the territories. Last December he tried to secretly visit Bethlehem to participate in mass but was caught en-route by the Jerusalem Police.