IRELAND: The Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM) has called on the Government to make an offer of asylum to the Israeli whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu, who was released from prison yesterday after an 18-year sentence.
The IAWM called what it described as an emergency protest at the Israeli embassy in Dublin yesterday after Mr Vanunu spoke to the press in Israel on his release. The IAWM expressed concern that the Israeli government might seek to re-imprison him.
Mr Richard Boyd Barrett of the IAWM said his group was concerned for Mr Vanunu because he had defied the restrictions placed on him following his release. "I think it's a very brave thing he's done, so we want to show support for him and indicate that there would be massive opposition in Ireland and internationally if there's any attempt to re-imprison him," he said. "Even if that doesn't happen, we think it's outrageous that after 18 years in prison and 18 years of torture, according to himself, that after serving his sentence he's not in fact free."