Aharon Cohen, an expert on the Middle East and Arab affairs, and a former leader of the Mapam party, was sentenced in District Court here today to five years’ imprisonment, as a result of his conviction by the court of espionage. He had been convicted, after a secret trial, on three of four counts alleging that he had gathered secret information and passed it to an agent for an unnamed Communist country.
His attorney, who immediately filed notice of an appeal to the Israel Supreme Court, issued a statement declaring he was not guilty, asking for the court’s “mercy,” and declaring the defense is “asking for justice.” According to his defense, Cohen said he was “let down” by the Government’s security officials who, he said, failed to warn him that the foreign diplomat to whom he passed the secret information, was “an agent.”
The prosecution, however, requested a stiff penalty on the ground that “when a leader commits a crime, it is worse than a crime committed by an ordinary many.” At the request of the defense, the District Court permitted Cohen’s release on bail for 10 days, pending a ruling by a higher court.
Meanwhile, preparations were being made today at Tel Aviv for the rendering of the verdict in another espionage case, against Lieut. Colonel Israel Beer; The latter, formerly a high officer in Israel’s Army headquarters, and a noted military analyst, was also accused of espionage on behalf of an unnamed Communist country. The verdict in the Beer case is scheduled to be handed down next Sunday.
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