Another case of espionage involving a Russian immigrant has has been disclosed in Israel.
The High Court of Justice on Wednesday allowed the publication of the story of engineer Gregori Londin, who spied for the former Soviet Union for 15 years.
Londin had been recruited by the KGB in the 1970s, before immigrating to Israel in 1973, news reports said.
He had worked for several years in an Israel Defense Force unit developing the modern tank and had apparently passed information about it to Russia, among other things, Israel Radio reported. He had technical equipment to communicate with Russian contacts.
He was arrested in 1988.
That same year, a Tel Aviv court sentenced him to 13 years in prison for espionage and contact with a foreign agent.
The High Court, which in the past rejected an appeal by Londin, allowed publication of the story for the first time this week, Londin, who was 60 at the time of his arrest, had cited his failing health in asking that the sentence be commuted.
Another convicted spy for the former Soviet Union, Marcus Klingberg, is serving an 18-year prison term in Israel.
Klingberg’s name made the headlines last week as Israeli media reported a proposed spy swap involving Klingberg and Jonathan Pollard, now serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison for spying for Israel.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
