Mordehay Vanyny Israeli nuclear technician Date of Birth: 13.10.1954 Country: Israel

1. Early Life and Military Service
2. University and Nuclear Facility
3. Nuclear Revelations and Capture
4. Trial and Imprisonment
5. Release and Restrictions

Early Life and Military Service

Mordechai Vanunu was born into a family of Moroccan Jews that immigrated to Israel in 1963. He was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces in October 1971, serving for three years as a senior sergeant in the engineering corps.

University and Nuclear Facility

After his military service, Vanunu enrolled in the preparatory division of the University of Tel Aviv. However, he failed his exams and was forced to discontinue his studies. In 1976, he applied and qualified as a technical worker at the nuclear research center in Dimona. He was assigned as a dispatcher in workshop 2.

Nuclear Revelations and Capture

In 1979, Vanunu enrolled in the evening division of Ben-Gurion University in Beersheba, majoring in philosophy and geography. In 1985, he discovered his name on a termination list and smuggled a camera into the Dimona facility, taking 57 photographs of classified sections. Upon receiving his severance pay, he traveled abroad.

In Nepal, Vanunu converted to Buddhism, and in Australia, he was baptized. In 1986, he made public the fact that Israel had a nuclear program and possessed nuclear weapons. Before the story could be published in the London Sunday Times, Vanunu was kidnapped by Mossad agents in Rome and extradited to Israel.

Trial and Imprisonment

Vanunu was charged and convicted of treason in a closed trial. For six weeks, the Israeli government denied knowing his whereabouts until he secretly communicated his location to journalists. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison, 11 of which he spent in solitary confinement. During his imprisonment, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and was awarded honorary doctoral degrees.

Release and Restrictions

Vanunu was released from prison on April 21, 2004, after serving his full sentence. However, he was subjected to severe restrictions, including a ban on leaving Israel, approaching foreign embassies, and using the internet or mobile communication. Despite these restrictions, he has given numerous interviews, leading to several rearrests. He currently resides on the grounds of St. George's Anglican Church in Jerusalem.