03 — OPERATION
The Vanunu Case (1986)
The Vanunu case began when Mordechai Vanunu, a former technician at Israel's Dimona facility, disclosed information about the site in 1986. He was later brought to Israel, tried and convicted. The A–Z records the conviction as documented and the Mossad's reported role in his abduction as widely reported rather than proven in open proceedings.
Evidence Assessment
The disclosures, the trial, the conviction and the sentence.
The circumstances of his abduction rest on reporting and later testimony.
Key Facts
- Date:
- 1986
- Subject:
- Mordechai Vanunu (Dimona disclosures)
- Outcome:
- Conviction; long imprisonment; later release
- Evidence:
- Conviction documented; abduction reported
The disclosures
Vanunu's information about Dimona appeared in the foreign press in 1986, igniting the nuclear debate about Israel. The disclosures are documented.
Abduction and trial
Vanunu disappeared in Rome and appeared in Israeli custody. The publicly reported operation is widely attributed to the Mossad, but the A–Z distinguishes the documented conviction from the reported abduction.
Aftermath
Vanunu served a long sentence and was released with reported restrictions, which themselves generated further legal controversy.