Mystery remains as Zygier report confirms Mossad link

Published on 07/03/2013 00:00

An AUSTRALIAN-Israeli who was found hanging in his Israeli jail cell in 2010 after being secretly held in solitary confinement was “an employee of the Israeli government” an official Australian investigation found yesterday, reinforcing indications the man had worked for the Mossad espionage agency.

But the report by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade left unanswered the central question of what Ben Zygier, who moved to Israel in 2001, had done to merit such harsh treatment.

The release of the report refocused attention on the fraught Zygier case in Israel, where the government has tried to keep a lid on the affair, citing national security concerns. Australia said Mr Zygier faced charges that carried a maximum of 20 years incarceration at the time of his death.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, which broke the story last month, has reported that Mr Zygier had passed on information about his Mossad activities to Australian intelligence.