Vanunu Hearing Restrictions Violations Potstponed

International Campaign to Free Mordechai Vanunu

MEDIA UDATE - APRIL 6, 2005

1. Vanunu Hearing on Restrictions Violations Potstponed

2. Nuclear Whistleblower Awarded Norwegian People's Peace Prize

3. Knesset Constitution, Law and Judiciary Committee to Convene on April 19

4. International Delegation to Protest Restrictions, Prosecution of Vanunu

1. The preliminary hearing in the trial of Mordechai Vanunu on charges of violating the restrictions by talking to the international media, originally scheduled to take place in the Magistrate's Court in Jerusalem on April 6, has been postponed until April 12, at 15:00.

Vanunu is being charged with violating the restrictions imposed against him upon his release from prison on April 21, 2004, which prohibit him from speaking to reporters or any foreign nationals, leaving Israel and which otherwise severely limit his right to free speech and his freedom of movement.

The prosecution of Mordechai Vanunu for speaking with representatives of the media has been denounced by the International Federation of Journalists, Index on Censorship and dozens of international figures, including Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg.

Vanunu will be represented by Attorneys Avigdor Feldman and Michael Sfard.

2. Mordechai Vanunu has been awarded the Norwegian People´s Peace Prize for 2005 for his courageous action to protect the people in Israel, the Middle East and the world against destruction in a nuclear holocaust. Earlier recipients of this prize have been Alva Myrdal (Sweden), Mairead Corrigan and Betty Williams (Northern Ireland), Vytautas Landsbergis (Lituania) and Dom Helder Camara (Brazil).

Three of the People's Prize recipients (Myrdal, Corrigan, Williams) have also received the Nobel Peace Prize, and Mordechai Vanunu has again been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for 2005.

A number of weapons inspectors have been searching for nuclear weapons in the Middle East. Only Vanunu found such weapons. The Norwegian People´s Peace Prize was given to Vanunu as a reaction to the gross unfairness in subjecting him to excessive punishment, instead of praise and gratitude.

The prize will be formally announced to Vanunu at a ceremony in Jerusalem on April 20.

3. The Knesset Constitution, Law and Judiciary Committee will convene on April 19, to discuss the restrictions imposed against Mordechai Vanunu, at the initiative of Knesset Member Issam Makhoul. A panel of international and local legal and nuclear experts will be present to put forth the case for Vanunu's freedom. The meeting of the committee will take place at the Knesset at 11:00 a.m.

4. An international delegation organized by the International Campaign to Free Mordechai Vanunu will be in Israel from April 18-22. Along with Israeli anti-nuclear, environmental and human rights activists, the delegation, numbering several dozen people, will hold a variety of activities to protest the restrictions imposed on Vanunu and his current prosecution on charges of violating the restrictions, and calling for a nuclear-free Middle East.

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