Global Security Newswire

Israel on Monday freed a man imprisoned for 14 years for providing Iran with sensitive substances and technical knowledge on their alteration for use in chemical armaments, the Jerusalem Post reported (see GSN, May 12).

Nahum Manbar was found guilty in 1997 and sentenced to 16 years imprisonment for the infractions, which also included his agreement in a $16 million contract to assist Iran in building chemical arms manufacturing sites, according to the newspaper. Manbar committed the infractions from 1990 to 1994, despite his pledges to end interactions with Iran.

Israeli authorities permitted Manbar to be freed sooner than planned after judging he was no longer a danger following three years of treatment. Israeli Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein informed a panel he would not contest the move, though the government had denied two of the convict's prior bids to be freed based on his compliance with prison officials.

Manbar consented to confinement within Israeli borders and to bans on interacting with reporters or non-Israeli nationals and on carrying out weapons transactions (Jerusalem Post, Oct. 31).

"He was released on Monday afternoon, after Israel's Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein decided to give him a pardon for good conduct," Israel Prison Service spokeswoman Sivan Weizman said to the Xinhua News Agency (Xinhua News Agency, Oct. 31).