'Russia warned military attache 3 times before expulsion'

Israeli embassy in Moscow received 3 official notes claiming Liederman violated the Vienna Convention, 'Komsomolskaya Pravda' reports.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Vadim Laderman 311 (photo credit: Assaf Shilo/Israel Sun)
Vadim Laderman 311
(photo credit: Assaf Shilo/Israel Sun)
The Israeli military attache to Russia, Vadim Leiderman, who was expelled by Moscow last week, received three prior warnings by the Russian government prior to his deportation, Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda reported Monday.
In November of 2009, the Russian Foreign Ministry sent the first of three notes to the Israeli Embassy, pointing to what it claimed were violations of of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, according to the report. The second warning was issued to the embassy in April 2010. The final warning, according to Komsomolskaya Pravda, was issued in December 2010.
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Following the third warning, the embassy reportedly sent a conciliatory response: "All actions by the military attache at the embassy, V. Liederman, will be performed with strict observance of the provisions of the Vienna Convention..."
According to Russian accusations, Liederman was actually working for IDF military intelligence, advancing the Israeli defense industry, promoting products and firms. Liederman was apparently actively seeking contractors for Israel firms, lobbying the interests of IAI, Elbit and others.
Additionally, the Russian report accused Liederman of seeking information on diplomatic and trade relations between Russia and other countries. Israeli reports have indicated that he was accused of seeking information on arms deals between Moscow and Arab states.
The Russian government, it is claimed, did not intend for the affair to receive media attention. Komsomolskaya Pravda reported that the FSB decided against disclosing details of the incident. "But as happened in the past, the Israelis made a deliberate leak" in anticipation of "tendentious material reaching the media," which it described as bewildering, the newspaper quoted FSB officials as saying.
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson was not available to comment at the time of this report.