Vanunu Indicted: Indymedia Ireland Cited On Charge Sheet

by Felice Tue Apr 12, 2005 22:04

Israel Renews Restrictions on Vanunu

[note from the U.S. Campaign: Mordechai Vanunu sent the following message to his supporters, before his scheduled appearance in court for a preliminary hearing on the 22-count indictment charging him with violating the restrictions imposed on his liberty upon his release from prison last April.
-------


Hi Friends.
The news today is not the opening of the trial.
But they decided to renew all the restrictions,
for another year, yesterday the police come and gave the papers,
saying they decided to continue the restriction, and thinking to make them
more severe like not to talk on NWs [nuclear weapons] to any one,
So, it means one more year in this Prison state.
I will continue to be very free, and exercise my freedom of speech...
vmjc

by Indymedia Ireland Editorial Group - Indymedia Ireland Tue Apr 05, 2005 23:26

Israel to prosecute Mordechai Vanunu for talking to Indymedia Ireland.

Nuclear whistle-blower Mordechai Vanunu has recently been charged with 22 violations of the restriction orders placed on him when he left prison in Israel in April last year. Ireland's Independent Media Centre learned today that they have been named on the charge sheet. Most of the 22 charges relate to his contact with foreign individuals, primarily journalists, including Indymedia Ireland's interview with Vanunu from September 2004. The violations are listed in a court document, Indymedia Ireland is named in that document at section 20.

Eammon Crudden, a member of Indymedia Ireland's editorial collective, denounced the charges today: "these charges are not only an attack on Mordechai's human rights but also on the rights of journalists, on freedom of speech, and on the Israeli public's right to know what their government is doing, especially in a country that calls itself a democracy."

If Mordechai is found guilty of these offences he could be imprisoned for another three years.

Indymedia's Ciaran Moore declared that "the Israeli government locked up this brave and principled man for 18 years - 12 of which were in solitary confinement - for the crime of upholding international law and attempting to stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. It now appears that Israel is preparing to send him back to prison, this time for the 'crime' of talking to the media. We call on Irish people to register their protest at the actions of the Israeli state by contacting the Israeli embassy."

"We will not be intimidated by this blatant attempt to silence the media and will continue to give space to voices that governments around the world wish to silence," he added. "Vanunu spoke to other Irish journalists, including Lara Marlowe of the Irish Times, but Indymedia is the only Irish news source that is mentioned in the charges. We do not understand why."

In a recent press release, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) called for all charges against Vanunu to be withdrawn. Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary said, "Israel is creating a new crime - of talking to journalists. It is a shocking betrayal of democratic principles in what is a vindictive campaign of bullying and intimidation against a man who has served his time."

Mordechai remains defiant in his right to speak of the need to rid the world of nuclear weapons. As he said to the world's media when he left prison last April: "I am proud of what I did and I will continue to speak against all kinds of nuclear weapons."

Israeli Embassy Contact Details:
Address: Carrisbrook House, 122 Pembroke Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, Ireland
Tel: 01 - 230 9400 Fax: 01 - 230 9446 EMail: info@dublin.mfa.gov.il

by eeeekkkk Tue Apr 05, 2005 22:14

warms the cockles of the heart it does ;-)

" despite being on the receiving end of defamation from posters in the Indymedia playpen, its overarching mission is intrinsically valuable. We've always thought, unlike the lawyers, that the cure to error is more speech, not less. "

posted by R. Delevan @ 6:15 PM

as does the fact that their entire rightist audience seems to add up to dick waghorne plus 2

by Tow the Party Line, or else Tue Apr 05, 2005 22:08

" Israeli academics who refuse to condemn their government's actions in the occupied territories risk a boycott by the UK's leading lecturers' union."

So much for academic freedom...even if a Jew in Germany renounced his faith, he still got a trip to the camps...

by Phuq Hedd Tue Apr 05, 2005 22:02

All they do is suck up the excreta provided by mainstream media and mumble it around their toothless gums searching for the tastier bits. They never report anything original. Personally I see both your comment and this one contributing nothing to the thread, and the various looney-tune blogs as containing nothing of interest.

by redjade Tue Apr 05, 2005 21:18

→ We're a fan of Indymedia in principle, if for no other reason that it makes them easier for me and my NSA/CIA/MI5/Mossad/Special Branch mates to monitor. And because they produce for us our best nicknames: "fascist", "neocon", "mean", "not a great dancer".

But one thing has interested us about the Indymedia universe and the blogosphere: why do the twain rarely meet?
http://richarddelevan.blogspot.com/2005/04/indymedia-vanunu-indictment.html

→ Indymedia goes mainstream
'There goes their radical street cred.'
http://backseatdrivers.blogspot.com/2005/04/indymedia-goes-mainstream-mordechai.html

by nukem Tue Apr 05, 2005 19:32

Polly Curtis and Will Woodward
Tuesday April 5, 2005
The Guardian

Israeli academics who refuse to condemn their government's actions in the occupied territories risk a boycott by the UK's leading lecturers' union.

The Association of University Teachers' annual council, which begins on April 20 in Eastbourne, will also debate whether to boycott three of Israel's eight universities - Haifa University, Bar Ilan University and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem - over their alleged complicity with the government's policies on the Palestinian territories.

by seedot Tue Apr 05, 2005 18:57

just pointing it out, 'not surprised'.

The press release they picked up had indymedia.ie as the name of the site - it was changed to indymedia ireland in the piece.

just interesting.

the first year IMC was in Ireland the url appeared all over the place - since then it hasn't.

btw, they also left out the bit about Lara Marlowe doing an interview with Mordechai which was quite complimentary to the IT

by Chekov - 1 of Indymedia Ireland Tue Apr 05, 2005 18:40

doesn't mean that you shouldn't point it out when your expectations are met. Not everybody understands how the media works and therefore it is useful to point out examples of its failings*. For example, socialists hardly look at specific injustices in capitalism, shrug their shoulders and say "it's capitalism, what do you expect, no point moaning about it." Instead they highlight every concrete failing in capitalism to give weight to their fundamental critiique. It is thus with media and indymedia too.

*Strictly speaking, the article would be more useful from an informative point of view if it had included the URL. Therefore, it is worth asking why it didn't.

by not surprised Tue Apr 05, 2005 18:22

What do you want, a full page ad for Indymedia? The author named it, didn't he? Any plonker can put Indymedia Ireland into Google and find their way here.

When will Indymedia-ites ever be happy with anything the mainstream media does?

"They steal our stories and don't credit us...whinge....they just call us a 'website'....whinge.....they mentioned us but didn't even give our full URL...whinge........

Jesus Christ!

by seedot Tue Apr 05, 2005 17:58

Irish media group named in Vanunu charges
By David Labanyi Last updated: 05-04-05, 16:03

An Irish media organisation is among several television stations and newspapers that Israeli nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu will be charged with talking to when he appears in an Israeli court tomorrow.

Mr Vanunu was indicted for violating the terms of his release from prison that barred him from talking to foreign media organisations. Mr Vanunu was charged on March 17th and will appear at the Magistrates Court in Jerusalem tomorrow.

One of the charges relates to an interview Mr Vanunu gave to Indymedia Ireland in September 2004. He is also charged with talking to the BBC, Sky News, the Washington Post and Le Figaro.

Mr Vanunu has said he will continue speaking to the press, despite the charges. He has not yet been taken into custody.

He served 18 years in jail for disclosing details of Israel's nuclear programme at the Nuclear Research Centre at Dimona in the Negev desert where he used to work. He was released in April 2004 under strict conditions.

The Israeli government insists Mr Vanunu is a security threat and banned him from leaving Israel - including visiting the West Bank and Gaza Strip - or talking to foreigners without permission.

Mr Vanunu denies he has more information than he revealed to the Sunday Times in 1986 when he detailed the extent of Israel's nuclear programme.

He was subsequently kidnapped in Italy by Israeli agents. Mr Vanunu faces up to three years in jail if he is convicted of breaking the restrictions imposed on him. He has approached a number of countries, including Ireland, asking for asylum.

When charged Mr Vanunu responded: "Maybe they will warn me again or I don't know, but they will not stop me talking . . .

I'm not going to stop speaking as long as I'm free I'll continue to speak."

Eammon Crudden, a member of Indymedia Ireland, said the charges were an attack on Mr Vanunu's human rights, on the rights of journalists and on freedom of speech.

(note the lack of a url !!!)

by Anonymous Tue Apr 05, 2005 17:34

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2005/0405/breaking54.htm

Well done Indymedia Ireland for conducting this interview and helping to promote the freedom of information and the freedom of the world's press.

I remember a few years ago driving down to the big demo in Shannon after the Huge marches against the Iraq war. Minister Michael McDowell was on a radio one talk show and he spoke of the "rubbish" and "garbage" that was Indymedia Ireland.

In light of recent events and this here current event, without meaning to be disrespectful to Mr. McDowell, I wonder what he would have to say now??

by Limerick - IPSC Tue Apr 05, 2005 15:23

The Limerick Branch of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign recently had two members in Palestine where they met and interviewed Vanunu.

Vannunu is in contact with this group presently supporting their call for Limerick to be declared a Caterpillar Free Zone- ending the use of caterpillare products by the city council.

by MOSSAD Mon Apr 04, 2005 20:04

Well even if he'd take up the offer (which I doubt, I can't see him backing down like that), there's certainly no garauntee that he'd be safe in Ireland. As recently as last month, it was revelaed that the Mossad were engaged in some sort of surviellence and possible hit operations on Palestinians in Ireland - specifically I think some those fighters from the Church of the Nativity that were granted asylum here a few years back.

This link (From Israeli News Network) has a little about teh event, but I seem to recall reading a longer article in the Indo, or the Herlad or somesuch. Can't find it at the moment.

by iosaf Mon Apr 04, 2005 14:06

Swissinfo have spoken to him, through an israeli citizen -
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=5653391&cKey=1112584831000

Berria (a basque online newspaper with a small english section) have also spoken to him through an israeli citizen -
http://www.berria.info/english/saila.php?saila=5

The Sydney Morning Herald has also run a piece, based on the conversations of friendly Israelis by an irish journalist. its a long link and would ruin the page layout so open a new window and cut and paste the following three lines together without gaps :-
http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/
Vanunu-still-not-free-from-Israels-clutches/
2005/04/01/1112302241988.html?oneclick=true

by european Mon Apr 04, 2005 12:43

in the name of peace for all the mediterranean.
he did what he did to help stop the senseless singing of the Kaddesh.
Shalom = Pax.

Yet Israel broke the sanctuary of a st george's anglican church to take him out with armed guards.
Israel you can make a gesture especially at this time surely?

by eeekkkkk Sun Apr 03, 2005 15:29

"20. On October 8, 2004, the Defendant spoke with a representative of the Indymedia communications network from Ireland. The Defendant provided in the conversation details and information concerning his work at the NRC, the radioactive materials, the number and types of bombs that he claimed were produced there. The Defendant said, that he was violating the provisions of the Order and was speaking with foreigners and that he intended to write a book."