- JERUSALEM -- Peter Hounam,
the Sunday Times journalist who broke the story of Mordechai Vanunu's revelations
about Israel's nuclear weapons programme 18 years ago, was arrested by
plain clothes agents in Tel Aviv last night.
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- Mr Hounam, who has been in Israel since Mr Vanunu's release
last month after 18 years in prison for publishing state secrets, was seized
on his way to a dinner with a longstanding Israeli supporter of the former
nuclear technician.
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- Before being taken into custody, he was driven at high
speed back to his hotel in Jerusalem where he broke away from his captors
long enough to grab a fellow guest by the hair to attract her attention
and urge her to "tell people, tell The Sunday Times that I am being
arrested".
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- Mr Hounam's seizure came as he was travelling to meet
Yael Lotan, an Israeli journalist and Vanunu campaigner who last Saturday
conducted a two-hour interview with Mr Vanunu scheduled for publication
in this weekend's Sunday Times. Mr Hounam was in detention last night,
facing probable interrogation by Shin Bet, Israel's domestic intelligence
service.
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- Ms Lotan said that she had been telephoned by Mr Hounam
at about 8.10pm and that he appeared to be having trouble finding her home
to take her to a restaurant which he had booked. He then failed to show
up and calls to his mobile phone elicited no response. The BBC, for whom
Mr Hounam has been making a documentary about Mr Vanunu, said it was "very
concerned" about his arrest.
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- Donatella Rovera, the Middle East specialist for Amnesty
International, who like Mr Hounam has been staying at the Jerusalem Hotel
in Nablus Road, was sitting at a table near the door of the hotel's garden
restaurant at around 9.30pm. "He grabbed me and told me to tell people
that he was being arrested," she said. Ms Rovera said that he was
with about five men, wearing T-shirts and jeans who then ushered him upstairs
to his room.
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- When he came downstairs about 20 to 30 minutes later
he seemed less agitated and waved to Ms Rovera as he left the hotel before
being driven away in one of two unmarked cars which had been waiting outside
with a police jeep. He seemed to have all his luggage with him and the
agents were helping him to carry it down and out to the car.
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- Ms Lotan said last night that she and not Mr Hounam had
conducted the interview for The Sunday Times. The conditions attached to
Mr Vanunu's release severely restrict his rights to make contact with foreigners.
Ms Lotan said that while the interview included a personal narrative of
his period in solitary confinement, it did not contain new material threatening
Israel's security. "I don't think it endangers Israel at all,"
she added.
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- After Mr Vanunu was released from prison on 21 April
he was embraced by Mr Hounam in an emotional reunion as he arrived to take
communion at Jerusalem's Anglican cathedral. Mr Vanunu converted to Anglicanism
in the 1980s. He subsequently moved into a hostel attached to the cathedral.
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- A government spokesman said last night that he was unable
to give details of Mr Hounam's arrest and detention because of a gagging
order.
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- © 2004 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=525322
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