Australia Aware of Alleged Spy in Israeli Prison

Australia was informed about the arrest of a suspected Mossad agent of Australian origin 10 months before he was found hanged in his Israeli prison cell, Foreign Minister Bob Carr said.

The government “was informed in February 2010 through intelligence channels that the Israeli authorities had detained a dual Australian-Israeli citizen, and they provided the name of the citizen, in relation to serious offenses under Israeli national security legislation,” Carr told a parliamentary committee in the capital, Canberra, today. On Dec. 16, 2010, Australia was informed through “intelligence channels” that the man, Ben Zygier, had died the previous day, Carr said.