The kidnapping of Mordechai Vanunu

1986 Mordechai Vanunu (b. 1954) was kidnapped by Israeli secret police in Rome (although upon release Vanunu claimed the culprits were the CIA rather than Israel’s notorious Mossad secret agency). Vanunu, who had leaked details of Israel’s secret nuclear weapons program to the London Times, was convicted in a secret Israeli military court and held in solitary confinement for much of his 18-year imprisonment.

Israeli former nuclear technician Vanunu secretly wrote on the palm of his hand details of his kidnapping which he showed press photographers. Shots of his hand were beamed around the world, and soon car window stickers with 'Free Vanunu' slogans were being displayed in many places. However, it was to be nearly two decades before the government of Israel was to release this whistleblower ...

Tagged: israel, nuclear, activism