Michael Zerner, Israeli seman released several days ago after two months imprisonment in an Egyptian jail, told newsmen here today a tale of beatings and torture at the hands of his Egyptian captors.
Mr. Zerner, removed from a Dutch ship going through the Suez Canal last November 2 and flown to Holland January 2 after his release, said he was interrogated by army and civilian police officials. His prison guards beat him, he said, and deprived him of all reading material, cigarettes and personal belongings. While in prison, he reported, he met members of the crew of the Israeli fishing trawler who were transferred to the civilian prison after pressure by the Red Cross.
On December 30, he related, he signed some papers in Arabic, which were not translated for him, then he was dressed in his own clothing and had all his personal possessions except his passport and identity papers returned. He was transported, eyes bound, to an airport from which he was flown to Holland. It is understood that the Israeli authorities have already received a full report on Mr. Zerner’s arrest and mistreatment.
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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.
