The first sentence in connection with the Syrian-sponsored Arab-Jewish spy ring was handed down today by a Haifa district court. Judge Emmanuel Slonim imposed a three-year prison term on Ahmed Mahamoud Hawari, 40, of Tarshiha village in Western Galilee for failing to inform the authorities of the spy ring although he knew of its existence.
Hawari was tried separately from the other defendants. He was not accused of membership in the ring although he admitted at the trial that he had met several times with Daoud Osman Turki, the alleged ring-leader, who tried to recruit him. He admitted also that he knew of, arms shipments intended for the ring which were due to arrive in Israel from an Arab country. He said he failed to notify the police because Turki threatened that terrorists would blow up his home if he informed.
Judge Slonim said that even if the defendant’s explanation was true, it did not justify his failure to inform the authorities. The trial of the six key defendants, including Turki and the two principal Jewish members of the ring, Ehud Adiv and Dan Vered, continued in another Haifa court.
Adiv admitted yesterday, under cross examination by Haifa District Attorney J. Grabli, that he gave details of an Israeli Army top secret weapon to an enemy agent, Habib Kahwagi. He admitted meeting Kahwagi in Athens although he claimed that he didn’t know that Kahwagi and Abu Kamal, the spy ring’s Syrian contact man, were the same person.
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