Prison Officials Punishing Vanunu

Prison authorities are punishing Mordechai Vanunu for flashing a message to reporters indicating that he was kidnapped in Rome last September. Police, meanwhile, are questioning Bernard Josephs, Jerusalem correspondent of the Standard of London who was the first to transmit Vanunu’s message abroad, in violation of censorship.

The Foreign Ministry has acknowledged that the Israeli Ambassador in Rome, Mordechai Drory, had been summoned to the Italian Foreign Ministry and asked for clarification of Vanunu’s allegation which was published worldwide.

Yossi Beilin, Political Director General of the Foreign Ministry here, said Tuesday that the Israeli envoy told the Italian authorities he had no information and would pass their request to Jerusalem.

Beilin said Israel would “very seriously consider” a request from the Italian government. He told reporters that Vanunu’s message should not be “taken too seriously.” “Tomorrow he might say he came via Tanganyika,” Beilin said.

Vanunu, a former technician at the Dimona nuclear facility, accused of giving Israeli nuclear secrets to a British newspaper, was remanded in custody until the end of this trial by a Jerusalem District Court Sunday.

While being driven to the court, he pressed a palm against the window of the police van. Printed in ink on his skin was the message: “Vanunu M. was hijacked in Rome 30.9.86 2100. Came Rome by BA Fly 504.” The latter was taken as a reference to British Airways daily flight from London to Rome.

The date coincided with the first report that Vanunu was missing from London. Israeli authorities refused to acknowledge until last month that he was in fact in Israel. They said he came voluntarily but would not disclose when or how.

HELD VIRTUALLY INCOMMUNICADO

Vanunu has been held virtually incommunicado and had only fleeting contact with the media on his way to and from the district court last Sunday.

For attempting to pass a message he has since been deprived of visits by his family, barred from receiving reading matter in his cell, and his Walkman was taken from him.

A REPORTER IS UNDER INVESTIGATION

The Government Press Office announced Wednesday that Josephs, who is also a member of The Jerusalem Post staff, will be denied any privileges in his capacity as correspondent for the Standard, pending conclusion of a police investigation.

GPO source said they would cooperate fully with the censorship board to crack down on foreign newsmen working in Israel. Israeli newspapers were allowed to publish Vanunu’s message only after his photographed palm had appeared on front pages and television screens all over the world.