Mordechai Vanunu

{{Audio|He-Mordechai_Vanunu.ogg|Mordechai Vanunu}} (מרדכי ואנונו) (born October 13, 1954), also known by his baptismal name John Crossman, is an Israeli former nuclear technician who revealed details of Israel's nuclear weapons program to the British press in 1986. He was subsequently lured to Rome by an American Mossad agent, abducted and smuggled to Israel, where he was tried behind closed doors and convicted of treason.

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The European Parliament has condemned Israel's treatment of Vanunu, and referred to his detention by Mossad agents as a gross violation of Italian sovereignty and international law. Amnesty International described his treatment as constituting "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment such as is prohibited by international law".

Related Topics:
European Parliament - Sovereignty - Amnesty International - International law

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Vanunu received the Right Livelihood Award in 1987, and was given an honorary doctorate by the University of Tromsø in 2001. He has been nominated by Joseph Rotblat for the Nobel Peace Prize every year from 1988 to 2004. In 2005 he received the Peace Prize of the Norwegian People (Folkets fredspris). Previous recipients of this prize includes Vytautas Landsbergis (1991), Alva Myrdal (1982), Mairead Corrigan and Betty Williams. Myrdal, Corrigan and Williams also received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Related Topics:
Right Livelihood Award - Honorary doctorate - University of Tromsø - Joseph Rotblat - Nobel Peace Prize - Vytautas Landsbergis - Alva Myrdal - Mairead Corrigan - Betty Williams

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In December 2004, as a statement of solidarity, he was elected by the students of the University of Glasgow to serve for three years as Rector http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4100119.stm. On Friday April 22 2005 he was formally installed in the post http://www.gla.ac.uk:443/newsdesk/events/details.cfm?Event_Number=2146, but cannot carry out any of its functions as he is still confined to Israel. Since then the Glasgow Herald has launched a campaign for his release.

Related Topics:
University of Glasgow - Rector - April 22 - 2005 - Glasgow Herald

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