Nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu, on trial in Israel for violating the terms of his release from prison, said today he is determined to persuade the court to remove the restrictions placed on him.
Prosecutors in Jerusalem accuse Vanunu - who served an 18 year sentence for revealing secrets of Israel's atomic programme to London's Sunday Timesnewspaper - of giving interviews to foreign media, despite a ban on contacts with foreigners.
Israeli nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu at the entrance to the court in Jerusalem
The former technician at Israel's nuclear plant in the Negev Desert is not allowed to leave Israel. Vanunu, a convert to Christianity, has repeatedly said he wants to move to the US.
He is also charged with illegally travelling to the Palestinian territories.
Prosecutors asked the court to extend the restrictions for another six months, Mr Vanunu said. The court is scheduled to reconvene on May 19th.
"It's a shameful day for Israel's democracy, that a man who served 18 years, a full sentence, is brought to court for exercising his freedom of speech," Mr Vanunu said.
"I have no more secrets. Only Israel has secrets about its atomic programme," he added.
Mr Vanunu was arrested in 1986 and convicted two years later for divulging information and pictures of the Dimona reactor.
The details led experts to conclude that Israel has the world's sixth-largest stockpile of nuclear weapons, including hundreds of warheads.
Five representatives of the Irish Peace People organisation are due to travel to Israel on Saturday in support of Mr Vanunu.
Mairead Corrigan Maguire (Nobel Peace Laureate), Kevin Cassidy (chairman) and Executive members Ann Patterson, Regina O'Callaghan and Justin Morahan will stay in Israel for a week in a bid to "support his right to be free of all restrictions on his freedom".