The Israel Government disclosed today that it had protested to the Soviet Government against the kidnapping and third degree torture of an Israeli diplomat by Soviet secret service agents in Odessa.
The protest was lodged by the Israel Embassy in Moscow with Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister Seminov, who promised to investigate. Meanwhile, the Israeli diplomat, Eliahu Chazan. and his wife have been taken out of the USSR and are en route to Israel. The details of the kidnapping and of the efforts of the Soviet agents to pressure the Israeli diplomat into their spy service were revealed today by Dr. Walter Eytan, director general of Israel’s Foreign Ministry.
“Mr. Chazan, an attache in Moscow since 1955, was spending a vacation with his London-born wife in Odessa during the first week of September, ” Mr. Eytan reported. “On September 7, at about 9 P. M., while the Israeli diplomat was visiting at the home of a friend, officers of the Soviet secret service appeared; one of them, whom the others addressed as ‘Captain’, declared that they had an order to search the house.”
The Israeli diplomat was detained on the spot. In spite of the fact that Mr. Chazan produced his diplomatic identity card, the security officers rejected his demand that he be released immediately or allowed to contact the Israel Embassy in Moscow, Dr. Eytan stated.
“At about 10 P. M., ” the Israeli Foreign Ministry official continued, “when the Israeli diplomat had started on his way to his hotel, accompanied by one of the security officers, three more security officers joined them and the four forcibly pushed him into a house in a street they were passing. A uniformed sentry was standing guard at the entrance to the house. “
The Israeli diplomat was led into a room furnished like an office, Dr. Eytan related, where he was detained until 10 A. M. the next morning, despite his protests. “A man began investigating him, using methods of pressure, ” Dr. Eytan charged.
TOLD HE WOULD BE KILLED UNLESS AGREES TO ACT AS SOVIET SPY
Mr. Chazan was informed, through an interpreter, that he “no longer enjoyed diplomatic immunity. “The investigating officer repeatedly threatened him, telling him he would “never again see his wife or daughter unless he agreed to enter the service of the MGB (the Ministry of State Security). “
When Mr. Chazan referred anew to his diplomatic immunity, the investigator told him that the “MGB was the most powerful body in the USSR and was not subject to international law or usage. ” The investigator warned: “You will simply disappear and your clothes will be found on a beach; it happens that people go swimming in the sea and do not return; that’s all; no law will help you. You’re in our hands and you have no choice but to submit to us if you ever want to see your wife and daughter again.”
Pressure and threats were kept up continuously for 12 hours, while strong lights shone on his face. Finally, on September 8, Mr. Chazan was released and permitted to visit his wife who, prior to his arrest, had been taken to a hospital suffering from gastric poisoning. After that Mr. Chazan was ordered to telephone the Israel Embassy in Moscow so as not to arouse suspicion there.
The same day he was again brought before the same investigator, this time in a room in Mr. Chazan’s hotel. He was again held for a number of hours. This was repeated during the next two days, too. Mr. Chazan was detained a total of 26 and a half hours. During all this time the investigator tried to obtain information from Mr. Chazan and to press him into the Soviet Secret Service, Dr. Eytan charged.
On September 11, the Israeli diplomat and his wife were permitted to board a plane for Moscow after 500 roubles had been forcibly stuffed into his coat pockets. The investigator warned Mr. Chazan “not to say a word to the Israel Ambassador or any other member of the Embassy staff about what had happened, ” Dr. Eytan revealed. He was warned that “any attempt to do so would lead to his physical liquidation and no security precautions” would be able to save him.” The arm of the MGB can reach you anywhere in the world, ” he was told.
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