Vanunu hailed as hero

2004-04-20 17:11

Ashkelon, Israel - Dozens of anti-nuclear campaigners rallied outside Mordechai Vanunu's prison on Tuesday, a day ahead of his release, praising the former nuclear technician as a hero for revealing Israel's nuclear secrets 18 years ago.

British actress Susannah York and Irish Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairaed Maguire were among the activists from around the world assembled outside Shikma Prison in the Israeli coastal town of Ashkelon.

"Mordechai Vanunu has blown the whistle on Israel's nuclear weapons," York said. "He has been imprisoned and punished so cruelly. He put humanity above the law."

Israel has imposed restrictions on Vanunu, 50, after his release, arguing that he still poses a threat to state security and has more secrets to reveal.

Vanunu will not be able to travel abroad for at least a year, speak with foreigners or approach Israeli ports or borders. He will also be barred from discussing his work at Israel's Dimona reactor nearly two decades ago. Vanunu was given a map of Israel marking the areas off-limits to him, the Defence Ministry said.

Vanunu will live in a luxury apartment complex in Jaffa, an old seaport and today part of Tel Aviv. Jaffa has both Arab and Jewish residents, and Vanunu's apartment will be near several churches. Vanunu, who was raised as an ultra-Orthodox Jew, converted to Christianity in the mid-1980s.

Andromeda Hill

The Andromeda Hill complex has 170 apartments, and tenants include both wealthy foreigners and local residents. Some of the tenants said they were unhappy about Vanunu moving in. "I think he did something wrong," said Sherilyn Larkin, 50, who shuttles between Israel and Honolulu.

Vanunu might have trouble complying with the restrictions, including the ban on him talking to foreigners, she said. "This complex is full of diplomats from all over the world, so I don't know how that's going to work out," she said.

Vanunu has been embraced as a hero by the anti-nuclear movement. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and was legally adopted by an American couple who mistakenly thought this would give him US citizenship.

Anti-nuclear activists, including British playwright Harold Pinter and actress Julie Christie, sent messages to coincide with Vanunu's impending release.

In 1986, Vanunu leaked details and pictures of Israel's alleged nuclear weapons programme to The Sunday Times of London and was abducted to Israel by the Mossad secret service. He was convicted of espionage and treason in a closed-door trial in Jerusalem. Much of his 18-year sentence was spent in solitary confinement.

Vanunu has told the Shin Bet security service that he has no more secrets to reveal. However, Israel officials say Vanunu still poses a danger, and have imposed a series of restrictions on his movement.

- AP