MANBAR RECEIVES 16 YEAR SENTENCE IN TREASON CASE
ISRAEL LINE
FRIDAY, JULY 17, 1998
The Tel Aviv District Court on Thursday unanimously sentenced Nahum Manbar
to 16 years in prison for aiding and abetting the enemy and transferring
material and know-how to the enemy with the intention of harming state
security, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. These convictions were made in
relation to Manbar's connection and assistance to the Iranian government.
Parallel to the sentencing, Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein and State
Attorney Edna Arbel decided to begin a preliminary investigation into
allegations of obstruction of justice and undue influence on judicial
procedures in the trial. Justice Ministry officials have made clear that
the investigations will include not only the allegations leveled by Amnon
Zichroni, Manbar's attorney, against Tel Aviv District Court Judge Amnon
Strashnov, who presided over the trial, but also the conduct of Zichroni and
members of his staff during the trial.
In a High Court petition filed on Monday, Zichroni accused Strashnov of
maintaining an intimate relationship with Pninat Yanai, a lawyer on the
Manbar defense team who had previously apprenticed under Strashnov. He said
the two talked to each other frequently without his knowledge and routinely
discussed the case. Zichroni also charged that Strashnov had discussed the
case with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an allegation denied by the
Prime Minister.
Earlier on Thursday, Supreme Court President Aharon Barak rejected
Zichroni's appeal against the District Court's decision not to disqualify
Strashnov, but said Zichroni could make the request again when he appeals
Manbar's conviction and sentence. Zichroni has 45 days to appeal to the
Supreme Court, and announced that he will do so.
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